DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

At Regionhästsjukhuset Strömsholm we have state of the art facilities for diagnostic imaging.

We use 3 different modalities:

Digital (computed) radiography - X rays

Ultrasound

Nuclear Scintigraphy

Radiography is used for imaging the bones of the body. Digital radiography allows greater manipulation of the images after initial processing which can greatly help interpretation. It also allows the ability of images to be easily reproduced and sent around the world for consultation with colleagues.

Ultrasound scanning is mainly used in horses for examination of soft tissues, such as the tendons or suspensory ligaments. In humans you will be more familiar with it's use in health checks on pregnant women. A new machine was purchased in 2004 which is of very high quality and has the ability to examine structures with Doppler which shows blood vessels (see Tendon project).

We also often use this for examination of some joints and the ligaments associated with them, the lungs, and the abdomen.

Nuclear Scintigraphy involves injecting a radioactive 'isotope' or substance into the blood stream. This substance accumulates at sites where bone turnover, which is normally a continous process, but may be increased at sites where there is damage. This modality is often used in combination with radiographs and may be of great use in horses during lameness work-ups, being able to in some cases to 'pin point' or confirm the problem site. It is also of great use in cases where full examination is not possible due to the severity of the lameness or horse's temperament.

Please be aware that although the levels of radiation are small and unlikely to damage your horse in any way, should your horse undergo this type of examination it will require to be hospitalised for several days to ensure that it is no longer radioactive.