DOI : https :// doi . org / 10.56496 / XBUB7328

Rosie Heath , RVN

Liphook Equine Hospital

ENVELOPE rosie . heath8 @ gmail . com

Rosie began her equine career as an event groom and enjoyed assisting the veterinary surgeons when they visited the yard , which led to her becoming a groom at an equine hospital . She then qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2019 so she could make an even bigger difference to the health of the patients at the hospital . Rosie is now the head clinic nurse at Liphook Equine Hospital . She is particularly interested in radiography and theatre nursing .

ABSTRACT This article considers radiography of the equine pelvis , in particular the views achievable in the standing horse and the limitations associated with muscle mass and the size of the patient . There are many safety considerations to be taken into account , due to the high levels of exposure to radiation and the positioning of the equipment and personnel within the radiography suite .

Keywords radiography , X-ray , equine , pelvis , radiation , exposure , safety

Introduction

Acute injury of the pelvis is a relatively uncommon cause of lameness in mature horses and is usually the result of trauma , with the exception of Thoroughbreds in training , which may also develop stress fractures in certain locations . Chronic lameness is also rare and is usually associated with coxofemoral joint arthropathy or sacroiliac pathology . A specific diagnosis is challenging in such cases , due to the size of the overlying soft tissue , which makes clinical examination , diagnostic anaesthesia and diagnostic imaging difficult . Commonly used diagnostic imaging modalities include ultrasonography , radiography and nuclear scintigraphy .

Radiography of the pelvis can be performed under general anaesthesia , but this involves considerable expense and poses a significant risk during recovery if fractures are present . Barrett et al . [ 1 ] describe performing radiographs of the pelvis without the need to use or consider general anaesthesia , which speeds up the diagnostic process and improves health and safety . It is possible to obtain good-quality diagnostic radiographs of many parts of the pelvis in a standing , sedated horse . However , some areas cannot be imaged due to the size and anatomy of the horse , and prior experience is required , so careful consideration should be given before proceeding .

The diagnostic value of pelvic radiography has been evaluated in the literature . For example , Geburek et al . [ 2 ] compared the use of ultrasonography and radiography in the detection of pelvic injury in 23 Warmblood horses and two ponies and found reasonable agreement between the two modalities . Both were able to identify fractures of the tuber coxae , ilial shaft , ischium and femoral neck and osteoarthritis of the coxofemoral joint .

Transcutaneous ultrasonography was superior in detecting ilial wing pathology , compared with radiography , which did not produce a clear image due to the surrounding soft tissue . Radiography was superior for detecting acetabular injury , which may be due to the difficulty in angling the transrectal ultrasonography probe and the acoustic shadows from the greater trochanter .

Radiation safety

Many veterinary professionals avoid taking pelvic radiographs , even when they are deemed appropriate , due to their lack of knowledge of the procedure and the high levels of associated radiation [ 2 ] .

36 Veterinary Nursing Journal