The scintigraphic anatomy of the equine sacroiliac joint.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to describe the scintigraphic appearance and location of the sacroiliac joint (SI-joint) in dorsal and dorso 30 degree lateral views of the equine pelvis in a scintigram. The pelvis from 10 different horses was prepared by attaching plastic tubes along relevant margins of the bone and around the SI-joint. A radioactive solution was injected into the tubes, and scintigraphic images were acquired with a gamma camera. Five specific landmarks were identified on the left and right sides of the pelvis. There was no significant difference in the distance measurements between the left and right sides in the dorsal view. The SI-joint was roughly ovoid in shape, with its long axis angled to the midline. The most craniolateral point of the SI-joint (Y) was located at the middle (SD = 0.04) of a line drawn from the caudal margin of the tuber sacrale (TS) to the craniolateral margin of the tuber coxa (TC), which was called TS-TC. In 85% of the specimens, the long axis of the SI-joint (SILA) was located caudal to or intersecting TS-TC, and the mean angle between SILA and TS-TC was 16.4 degrees (SD = 5.6 degrees). The distance from the caudomedial point of the SI-joint (Z) to Y was 0.38 times (SD = 0.04) the length of TS-TC. The distance from the tuber sacrale to the medial border of the SI-joint (TS-X) was 0.15 times (SD = 0.02) the length of TS-TC. In the oblique view, the SI-joint appeared wider and was positioned more laterally compared to the dorsal view. The distance TS-Y increased to 0.61 times (SD = 0.046) TS-TC, but SILA/TS-TC was essentially unchanged. The mean angle between TS-TC and SILA increased to 20.9 degrees (SD = 5.6 degrees). TS-X increased to 0.31 times (SD = 0.037) TS-TC. The location of the SI-joint was very similar in all horses, which makes it possible to estimate the location of the SI-joint in a scintigram in which the tuber sacrale and the craniolateral margin of the tuber coxa are identified.
Publication Date: 2002-06-29 PubMed ID: 12088326DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2002.tb01005.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article presents a study aimed at creating a clearer understanding of the anatomical layout and appearance of the sacroiliac joint (SI-joint) in horses, which is achieved through the use of a scintigram – a diagnostic image obtained through radioactive scanning.
Methodology
- The pelvic region of 10 different horses was prepared by attaching plastic tubes around the bone margins relevant to the SI-joint. A radioactive solution was then injected into the tubes.
- A gamma camera was used to acquire scintigraphic images, providing a detailed view of the SI-joint in both dorsal and dorso 30-degree lateral perspectives.
- This study sought to identify five specific landmarks on the left and right sides of the equine pelvis.
Findings
- No significant difference was observed in the distance measurements between left and right sides of the pelvis in the dorsal view.
- The SI-joint was found to be approximately ovoid in shape, with its long axis angled towards the midline.
- The team found a point labelled as ‘Y’, which lies at the middle (with an average standard deviation of 0.04) of a line drawn from the lower margin of the tuber sacrale (TS), to the upper outer margin of the tuber coxa (TC) – a line referred to as TS-TC in the study.
- It was found that in 85% of the specimens, the long axis of the SI-joint (SILA) was located behind or intersecting the TS-TC line. The mean angle between SILA and TS-TC was 16.4 degrees, with an average standard deviation of 5.6 degrees.
- They identified a point named as ‘Z’ and found that its distance to point ‘Y’ was approximately 0.38 times the length of the TS-TC line, with an average deviation of 0.04.
- The distance from the TS to the inner border of the SI-joint (TS-X) was around 0.15 times that of the TS-TC, with a standard deviation of 0.02.
- Perspective shift to the oblique view presented the SI-joint as wider and positioned more towards the lateral side as compared to the view from above (dorsal view). The distance from TS to point ‘Y’ increased to 0.61 times of TS-TC, with SILA/TS-TC remaining unchanged for the most part.
Conclusion
- The overall positioning of the SI-joint was found to be quite consistent across all horses, suggesting that once the tuber sacrale and the craniolateral margin of the tuber coxa are identified in a horse, the location of the SI-joint can be estimated with reasonable accuracy in a scintigram.
Cite This Article
APA
Erichsen C, Berger M, Eksell P.
(2002).
The scintigraphic anatomy of the equine sacroiliac joint.
Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 43(3), 287-292.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8261.2002.tb01005.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Male
- Radionuclide Imaging / veterinary
- Sacroiliac Joint / anatomy & histology
- Sacroiliac Joint / diagnostic imaging
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Grapperon Mathis M, Ley C, Berger M, Hansson K. Evaluation of a positioning method for equine lateral stifle scintigrams. Acta Vet Scand 2012 Jun 15;54(1):38.
- Mathys RA, Schmitz TR, Geyer H, Borel N, Hilbe M, Ohlerth S, Bischofberger AS. Multi-Detector Helical Computed Tomography, Transrectal Ultrasonography, and Histology of the Sacroiliac Joint: A Comparative Study in Adult Warmblood Horse Cadavers. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 7;15(13).
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