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BMC veterinary research2007; 3; 3; doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-3-3

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the supraspinous ligament in a series of ridden and unridden horses and horses with unrelated back pathology.

Abstract: Injury to the supraspinous ligament (SSL) is reported to cause back pain in the horse. The diagnosis is based on clinical examination and confirmed by ultrasonographic examination. The ultrasonographic appearance of the supraspinous ligament has been well described, but there are few studies that correlate ultrasonographic findings with clinical pain and/or pathology. This preliminary study aims to test the hypothesis that unridden horses (n = 13) have a significantly reduced frequency of occurrence of ultrasonographic changes of the SSL consistent with a diagnosis of desmitis when compared to ridden horses (n = 13) and those with clinical signs of back pain (n = 13). Results: The supraspinous ligament of all horses was imaged between T(thoracic)6-T18 and ultrasonographic appearance. There was an average of 2.08 abnormal images per horse from the whole group. The average number of abnormalities in unridden horses was 4.92, in ridden horses 2.92 and in horses with clinical back pain 4.69. No lesions were found between T6 and T10 and 68% of lesions were found between T14 and T17. No significant difference (p < 0.05) was found between the three groups in the number or location of abnormal images. Conclusions: The main conclusion was that every horse in this study (n = 39) had at least one site of SSL desmitis (range 2 to 11). It was clear that ultrasonographically diagnosed SSL desmitis cannot be considered as prima facie evidence of clinically significant disease and further evidence is required for a definitive diagnosis.
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Publication Date: 2007-03-01 PubMed ID: 17331234PubMed Central: PMC1821016DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-3-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research examines the supraspinous ligament (SSL) in horses, looking specifically at the potential correlation between ultrasonographic changes connected with desmitis in horses that are ridden, unridden, and those manifesting clinical signs of back pain. The central finding was that ultrasonographically diagnosed SSL desmitis is not sufficiently indicative of clinically significant disease in horses.

Research Background

  • This study investigates the supraspinous ligament (SSL), a structure in horses that has been linked to back pain.
  • The intention behind the investigation is to determine if there is a correlation between ultrasonographic findings relating to changes consistent with desmitis, a form of inflammation, in ridden and unridden horses, as well as horses displaying symptoms of back pain.

Study Design and Findings

  • A total of 39 equines were involved in the study, split into three groups: ridden horses, unridden horses, and horses showing symptoms of back pain. Each group had 13 horses.
  • All the horses underwent ultrasonographic examinations of the SSL, specifically between the T6 and T18 spinal regions.
  • The study found that every horse, regardless of their group, had at least one instance of SSL desmitis, with a range of 2 to 11 occurrences per equine.
  • The lesions connected to desmitis were predominately found between the T14 and T17 spinal regions. No significant difference was observed between the three sets of horses in terms of the number or location of abnormalities found during the ultrasonographical examinations.

Conclusion

  • The researchers concluded that evidence of SSL desmitis as determined ultrasonographically was not a conclusive indicator of clinically significant disease in horses.
  • This means that even though a horse may show signs of SSL desmitis through ultrasonography, it doesn’t necessarily lead to a definitive diagnosis of a disease or condition. Further examination remains necessary for a solid diagnosis.

Cite This Article

APA
Henson FM, Lamas L, Knezevic S, Jeffcott LB. (2007). Ultrasonographic evaluation of the supraspinous ligament in a series of ridden and unridden horses and horses with unrelated back pathology. BMC Vet Res, 3, 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-3-3

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 3
Pages: 3

Researcher Affiliations

Henson, Frances M D
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK. fmdh1@cam.ac.uk
Lamas, Luis
    Knezevic, Sabina
      Jeffcott, Leo B

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Back Pain / diagnostic imaging
        • Back Pain / pathology
        • Back Pain / veterinary
        • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
        • Horse Diseases / pathology
        • Horses
        • Ligaments / diagnostic imaging
        • Ligaments / pathology
        • Predictive Value of Tests
        • Ultrasonography

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        This article includes 10 references
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        Citations

        This article has been cited 7 times.
        1. Shokry M, Ali LB, El-Sharkawy M. Relationship between back pain and poor performance in show jumping athletic horses. Open Vet J 2025 Mar;15(3):1480-1487.
          doi: 10.5455/OVJ.2025.v15.i3.37pubmed: 40276202google scholar: lookup
        2. Domańska-Kruppa N, Wierzbicka M, Stefanik E. Advances in the Clinical Diagnostics to Equine Back Pain: A Review of Imaging and Functional Modalities. Animals (Basel) 2024 Feb 23;14(5).
          doi: 10.3390/ani14050698pubmed: 38473083google scholar: lookup
        3. Straticò P, Hattab J, Guerri G, Carluccio A, Bandera L, Celani G, Marruchella G, Varasano V, Petrizzi L. Behavioral Disorders in Mares with Ovarian Disorders, Outcome after Laparoscopic Ovariectomy: A Case Series. Vet Sci 2023 Jul 25;10(8).
          doi: 10.3390/vetsci10080483pubmed: 37624270google scholar: lookup
        4. Spoormakers TJP, Veraa S, Graat EAM, van Weeren PR, Brommer H. A comparative study of breed differences in the anatomical configuration of the equine vertebral column. J Anat 2021 Oct;239(4):829-838.
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        7. Lessa AS, Paredes BD, Dias JV, Carvalho AB, Quintanilha LF, Takiya CM, Tura BR, Rezende GF, Campos de Carvalho AC, Resende CM, Goldenberg RC. Ultrasound imaging in an experimental model of fatty liver disease and cirrhosis in rats. BMC Vet Res 2010 Jan 29;6:6.
          doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-6-6pubmed: 20113491google scholar: lookup
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