Radiologic findings consistent with kissing spines syndrome in Chilean thoroughbreds horses

Abstract

SUMMARYAlterations in the thoracolumbar spine of racehorses are frequent and often they significantly decrease the athletic performance of affected horses. The most common thoracolumbar alteration in thoroughbred horses is kissing spines syndrome (KSS). The narrowing of the interespinous space, generally located between T14-T15 and T15-T16, produces this syndrome. A radiographic study was performed at 30 thoroughbred horses on the segment between T12 and T18. Two latero-lateral views of the T12 to T18 segment were taken with a digital equipment to each horse. The images were analyze and the radiographic findings established the KSS according to a grading scale. The study sample was homogeneous and the results were similar to other radiographic findings of KSS occurring in segments T14-T15 and T15-16.Key words: horse; kss; kissing spines; radiology. RESUMENLos caballos de deporte frecuentemente presentan alteraciones de la columna toracolumbar, las cuales disminuyen su rendimiento deportivo. La alteración toracolumbar más frecuente en los caballos de la hípica es el síndrome kissing spines (SKS). Este síndrome se produce por el estrechamiento del espacio entre las apófisis espinosas del segmento toracolumbar, con mayor frecuencia entre T14-T15 y T15-T16, y su diagnóstico se Sustainability Agri, Food and Environmental Research 4(4), 2016: 14-17 ISSN: 0719-3726 15 realiza mediante imagenología. El presente estudio fue realizado en una muestra de 30 caballos FSC. Se obtuvieron 2 vistas radiológicas digitales, latero-laterales, del segmento T12 a T18 para analizar los hallazgos radiológicos correspondientes a SKS. La muestra del estudio fue homogénea y los resultados son similares, encontrándose más hallazgos radiológicos de SKS en los segmentos T14-T15 y T15-16.