Three-dimensional ultrasonographic in vitro imaging of lesions of the meniscus and femoral trochlea in the equine stifle.

The research explores the potential advantages of using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography in diagnosing conditions in horse’s knee joints, particularly relating to the meniscus and the femoral trochlea. The researchers deliberately created various types of lesions in the joints of horse cadavers and subsequently examined the effectiveness of 2D and 3D ultrasonography techniques in detecting these lesions.

Experiment Design

• The experiment was conducted on cadaver stifle (knee) joints of 25 horses. The team deliberately created lesions, or injuries, on the meniscus (a piece of cartilage that acts as a cushion between the femur and tibia) and the trochlea (a groove in the femur bone that helps in knee movement).
• For the trochlea, cylindrical, conical, and cubical lesions were created.
• The meniscus had five different types of tear configurations.
• In total, 107 trochlear and 103 meniscal lesions were created for the study.

Imaging Technique

• All the ultrasonographic scans were performed in a waterbath setup, and a 7.5 MHz 3D scanner was used to generate images.
• The lesions created on the trochlear ridge were reported to appear as either hypoechoic (slightly less reflective than surrounding tissues) or anechoic (completely non-reflective) breaks in the visual continuity or as irregular notches.

Comparison of Detection Capacity between 2D and 3D Ultrasonography

• In the experiment, 101 out of 107 trochlear ridge lesions were identified using a traditional 2D scanner.
• In comparison, when 3D scanning techniques were used, 104 out of 107 lesions were detected.
• Unfortunately, three lesions couldn’t be detected by either scanning method.
• Comparably, from the total 103 meniscal lesions made, 85 were seen using 2D ultrasonography and 90 were identified using the new 3D scanning method.
• The type of meniscal tears that were hardest to visualize in 3D were the radial and horizontal tears.

Conclusions

• These results indicate a slight improvement in lesion detection when using 3D ultrasound techniques over the traditional 2D methods.
• This suggests that 3D ultrasound has the potential to enhance diagnostic capabilities, presenting as an extension and refinement of current ultrasound technology.
• However, the study acknowledges that more technical advancements are needed before 3D ultrasound can be deployed for day-to-day use in diagnosing equine knee joint disorders.