Ultrasonographic examination of the equine sacroiliac region

Abstract

Summary Reasons for performing study: Little information exists about the normal ultrasonographic appearance of the equine sacroiliac region, but knowledge of the ultrasonographic anatomy is necessary to understand the possible pathological changes in sacroiliac diseases. Objectives: The normal ultrasonographic appearance of soft tissues and bony structures of the sacroiliac region in horses was studied in order to establish clinically relevant reference parameters. Methods: Thirteen cadaver specimens were examined using a transcutaneous approach above the tubera sacrale to image the dorsal sacroiliac ligament and the tendon of the longissimus dorsi muscle. A rectal approach was used to outline the sacroiliac joint and its adjacent structures. Thirteen sound horses with no history of back pain were examined following the same protocol as for the post mortem examinations. Results: The tendon of the longissimus dorsi muscle can clearly be distinguished from the dorsal sacroiliac ligament, especially in longitudinal images. Transrectal examination of the sacroiliac joint consists of evaluation of the bony surfaces of the sacrum and ilium in comparison with the contralateral side. Conclusions: Ultrasonographic examination of the sacroiliac region provided clear images of the caudomedial border of the sacroiliac joint and its adjacent structures and is a useful aid in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint diseases and adjacent lesions. The study has shown ultrasonography to be a useful method for examining and differentiating the longissimus dorsi muscle and the dorsal sacroiliac ligament at the level of the tubera sacrale. Potential relevance: Diagnostic ultrasound is available to most practitioners. These reference ultrasound parameters may help to improve the diagnosis of sacroiliac diseases.

Ultrasound‐guided periarticular injections of the sacroiliac region in horses: A cadaveric study

“…It has been proposed that the main causes of SI pain are articular injuries (osteoarthritis, iliac wing stress fractures) (Rooney 1977;Haussler et al 1999;Dyson et al 2003a,b;Haussler 2004) or soft-tissue injuries, i.e. desmitis or muscle strain (Dyson and Murray 2003;Haussler 2003Haussler , 2004Dyson 2004;Kersten and Edinger 2004). The clinical presentation is unclear, but poor performance, back stiffness, poor jumping form, loss of movement, change in behaviour, lack of impulsion from one or both hindlimbs and subtle gait abnormalities have been reported (Dyson and Murray 2003;Haussler 2003Haussler , 2004.…”

Transrectal ultrasonographic examination of the sacroiliac joints of the horse: Technique and normal images

“…External percutaneous ultrasonographic imaging of sacroiliac joints has been reported several times, especially in the context of therapeutic periarticular injections (Tomlinson et al . , ; Kersten and Edinger ; Engeli et al . ; Cousty et al .…”

“…External percutaneous ultrasonographic imaging of sacroiliac joints has been reported several times, especially in the context of therapeutic periarticular injections (Tomlinson et al 2001(Tomlinson et al , 2003Kersten and Edinger 2004;Engeli et al 2006;Cousty et al 2008;Denoix and Jacquet 2008). The dorsal sacroiliac ligament can be visualised with this approach (Denoix 1998).…”

Biometry by ultrasonography of the epaxial and pelvic musculature in equines trained with Pessoa's rein

“…Estas medidas podem ser obtidas mediante uso de fi ta métrica (O'CONNOR et al, 2002), pela ultrassonografi a e por ressonância magnética (STUBBS et al, 2011b). A ultrassonografi a se destaca, dentre essas metodologias, por produzir imagem muscular de forma muito correspondente à anatomia in vivo, além de ser rápida e segura, apresentando menor custo em relação à ressonância magnética (KERSTEN & EDINGER, 2004).…”

“…Em equinos, a ultrassonografi a tem sido usada com boa confi ança e repetibilidade na avaliação biométrica do Longíssimus Dorsi, Musculus Multifi dus, Gluteus Medius e Biceps Femoris (KERSTEN & EDINGER, 2004;STUBBS et al, 2010;LINDNER et al, 2010;STUBBS et al, 2011a). Nesse sentido, a utilização da rédea Pessoa em programas de treinamento, por modifi car a postura do cavalo em movimento e provocar alterações biomecânicas em comparação à locomoção sem a rédea, induziria a adaptações funcionais e modifi cações no tamanho de determinados músculos.…”