Comparison of radiography and ultrasonography to detect osteochondrosis lesions in the tarsocrural joint: A prospective study

Abstract

Radiographic examination should include a dorso30 degrees view for detection of lesions on the medial malleolus and ultrasonography should be considered to diagnose osteochondrosis in the tarsocrural joints.

Diagnostic Sensitivity and Interobserver Agreement of Radiography and Ultrasonography for Detecting Trochlear Ridge Osteochondrosis Lesions in the Equine Stifle

“…The use of multiple radiographic projections to identify lesions in different locations of the same joint has been previously recommended in the tarsus of the horse. 8 Other authors suggested the LM view of the stifle is the best for detecting osteochondrosis lesions of the medial trochlear ridge and the Ca60 • L-CrMO view is the best for detecting lateral trochlear ridge lesions. 5 The oblique projection reduces superimposition of the trochlear ridges, 1, 5 and consequently improves visualization of the subchondral bone contour and opacity of the lateral trochlear ridge.…”

“…Fifty false-positive joints also were identified in a previous study that compared ultrasonography and radiography for detection of articular lesions of several joints. 7 As previously reported, [7][8][9] arthroscopy was used as the reference standard to determine the presence of the lesions and to evaluate their severity. Arthroscopy allows evaluation of surfaces of the synovial membrane, articular cartilage, and intra-articular ligaments.…”

“…11 However, ultrasound image acquisition and interpretation are highly operator dependent and considerable interoperator variability can occur in determining severity of lesions. 8,12 Ultrasound examination of more complex anatomic areas such as the foot also has a longer "learning curve" than other areas such as the metacarpal region. 13,14 A recent retrospective study found subjectively that osteochondrosis lesion grades based on ultrasound are not predictive of lesion type based on arthroscopy or necropsy.…”

Owner survey of tarsocrural effusion (bog spavin) in Clydesdale horses

“…However, radiography may be less sensitive than ultrasonography for detecting some OC lesions in the tarsocrural joint (Relave and others 2009) and radiography was considered inaccurate in diagnosing lesions of the lateral trochlear ridge of the talus treated arthroscopically (McIlwraith 1993). It appears that no survey of the incidence of tarsocrural effusion has been published, although it is reportedly common in Draft horses (Goble 1993).…”

Tratamento cirúrgico da osteocondrite dissecante em equinos: estudo retrospectivo e análise crítica

“…Defeitos do osso subcondral devem ser examinados cuidadosamente em potros, especialmente em áreas onde a ossificação endocondral ocorre tardiamente (RICHARDSON, 2002). Se uma lesão é identificada, a articulação contralateral deve ser examinada radiograficamente, devido ao envolvimento bilateral, ou até os quatro membros em se tratando de articulação metacarpo/ metatarsofalangeana (COLÓN et al, 2000 O exame ultrassonográfico apresenta maior sensibilidade para detecção de lesões não mineralizadas, porém possui algumas limitações, como permitir apenas uma avaliação superficial da articulação e depender da eficiência do operador (RELAVE et al, 2009). …”