Update on ultrasonographic imaging techniques

Introduction

Although B-mode ultrasonography is an established “work horse” for the diagnosis and management of equine orthopaedic and surgical disorders, several techniques to improve the value of this tool such as angle contrast and dynamic ultrasonography have been further investigated and became more established during the last years. At the same time, ultrasonographic approaches to certain anatomic structures such as the distal sesamoidean impar ligament were described systematically and in detail recently¹ . Apart from these modifications of conventional grey scale ultrasound, more sophisticated ultrasound based techniques such as ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC), Doppler- and Power-Doppler ultrasonography and shear wave elastography have been investigated more in depth in the field of equine surgery within the last decade.

B-mode ultrasonography

Dynamic ultrasonography As the sensitivity of B-mode ultrasonography to detect tears of the proximalManica flexoriaof the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in a weight bearing limb position is limited, static ultrasonography in a flexed limb position and dynamic flexion / extension ultrasonography in a non-weight bearing position has been evaluated in a retrospective case series with tenoscopically confirmedManica flexoriatears. It proved to have a higher diagnostic accuracy than static ultrasound in a weight bearing limb position² . [...]