Large Animal Ultrasound - Clinical Activities & Procedures
Fetlock Ultrasound
The most common indication for fetlock ultrasound at UCD is to diagnose collateral ligament injuries. Such injuries are important to diagnose as soon as possible, since they predispose the horse to luxation (dislocation) of the fetlock joint. Affected horses are typically placed into a cast to stabilize the joint and allow healing to take place. Despite the severe nature of the injury, we have found that affected horses can often return to riding purposes if they are diagnosed early and treated with limb immobilization and stall confinement.
Horses with collateral ligament injury of the fetlock joint often have swelling which localizes to the affected side of the joint (left image). An example is shown in the top right ultrasound image where severe thickening and an abnormal fiber pattern of the lateral collateral ligament (arrows) is seen at its attachment onto the cannon bone. The normal thin appearance of the collateral ligament is shown in the bottom right image.