ABSTRACT
The aims of this research were to evaluate mean echogenicity (ME) of the deep and superficial digital flexor tendons (DDFT and SDFT), the interosseous muscle (IM), and the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (ALDDFT) of the metacarpal region in neonatal foals, and determine the effect of sex, side and body weight on this quantitative ultrasonographic evaluation. Thirteen orthopedically sound neonatal foals were examined. Four areas of study (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) were identified. Transverse scans of the DDFT, SDFT, IM and ALDDFT were obtained, recorded, and analyzed. The most echogenic structures were the ALDDFT and DDFT, while the SDFT was significantly less echogenic than all other structures (P<0.05). No influence of sex, forelimb, or body weight was observed. The echogenicity of the tenodesmic structures of foals partially overlapped that reported in the metacarpal region in adult horses, except for IM.
Subject(s)
Animals, Newborn/physiology , Horses/physiology , Ligaments/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Tendons/physiology , Animals , Body Weight/physiology , Functional Laterality/physiology , Ligaments/anatomy & histology , Metacarpal Bones/anatomy & histology , Muscle, Skeletal/anatomy & histology , Sex Factors , Tendons/anatomy & histology , Ultrasonography/veterinaryABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to describe the cross-sectional area and mean echogenicity of the main tendons of the shoulder and elbow joints in adult German Shepherd dogs and to determine the effects of sex, weight, and age on these parameters. No previous publications in the veterinary literature have reported information regarding quantitative ultrasonographic tendon measurements in dogs. Thirty German Shepherd dogs were examined: 13 males and 17 females. The cross-sectional area was significantly higher in males than in females (p <0.05) for the distal tendon of the triceps brachii muscle and the tendons of the flexor carpi ulnaris and common digital extensor muscles. The influence of sex on mean echogenicity was not significant. According to age, mean echogenicity was higher in older dogs, while the cross-sectional areas were similar in the two groups. Cross-sectional area and mean echogenicity of the tendons showed a direct increase with an increase in body weight. The data gained from this study can help support the clinician to discriminate between normal and pathological conditions.