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  Discussion on Ultrasound for Pre Purchase
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Posted on Thursday, Nov 4, 1999 - 4:34 pm:

I have an event horse who ran at advanced levels before I bought him 3 years ago. He was sound up until 6 months ago. Virginia Tech vet school diagnosed (with Nerve Blocks and x rays)the onset of navicular. About a month later, he had some tendon soreness when palpitated on his right front. During an ultrasound of his right front tendon area my vet found scar tissue from an old tendon injury that he thought happened years before I bought him. There's no external scarring, so we think it was a stress injury, not a result of a laceration. Unfortunately we think its aggravating problems for him now.

Had I known about the scar tissue on my current horse, I probably would not have bought him. I don't believe the person I bought him from knew he had the tendon damage either.

I am now shopping for a new event horse. Is it unusual for buyers to do ultrasounds on tendons as part of the pre purchase exam? If so, are these ultrasounds an accurate predicter of future soundness problems?

Posted on Friday, Nov 5, 1999 - 11:37 am:

Hello Kathleen,
I have to question the significance of the ultrasound findings on a tendon that has no swelling or objective evidence of pain other than resenting palpation. Many horses resent having the tendons palpated and I even find sound horses that are more sensitive on one side than the other to palpation. I have been mislead many times, suspecting the tendons, or some other structure, do to the results of palpation only to have nerve blocks accurately define some other area as the problem.

Before I would believe a tendon with no swelling is causing problems I would want everything from the distal cannon down blocked out and the horse remain lame, then with a ulnar block goes sound. Even with this work up, I still would be suspicious it was the inferior check ligament.

Think about what you were asking that ultrasound to do: predict 2 and 1/2 years down the road that there may be some (questionable) problems with the tendon.
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Nov 6, 1999 - 6:16 pm:

Thanks Doc.
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