Resolution of lesions on STIR images is associated with improved lameness status in horses.

The article investigates the relationship between lesion resolution on short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images and the improved lameness status in horses. The study concludes that horses whose tendon or ligament lesions had resolved on STIR images were more likely to recover than those horses whose lesions persisted on STIR images.

Objective & Hypothesis

• The study aims to comprehend the clinical implications of signal change in MR images that reveal musculoskeletal injuries in horses.
• The hypothesis was that if tendon, ligament, and bone marrow lesions visible on STIR images are resolved, it would relate to the horse’s return to soundness.
• On the contrary, it was also hypothesized that if the tendon and ligament lesions persist only on T1-weighted (T1w) gradient recalled echo (GRE) images, it would not associate with persistent lameness.

Methodology

• The researchers reviewed the medical records and MR images of 27 horses that initially had hyperintense lesions in STIR MR images followed by subsequent follow-up MR imaging examination.

Results

• The findings showed that horses with resolved tendon or ligament lesions on STIR images during recheck examination were significantly more likely to recover than those with persistent lesions on STIR images.
• This association did not apply to horses with bone marrow lesions. If the tendon or ligament lesions persisted only on T1-weighted (T1w) gradient recalled echo (GRE) images, it was no more likely that the horse would recover compared to those horses whose lesion persisted on other sequence types.

Limitations

• The small sample of participants might have influenced the inability to identify a significant difference in lameness status.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the tendon or ligament lesions visualized on STIR images could represent active lesions, which may contribute to the horse’s lameness.