Superficial digital flexor tendon injury is common in athletic horses. Recovery requires balancing rest and controlled exercise, resulting in high risk of reinjury. It is difficult to determine the level of work the damaged tissue can sustain based on serial ultrasound examination alone. Because small changes in sonographic appearance are associated with large changes in biomechanical strength, it is difficult to accurately determine the degree of loading an injured tendon can sustain. Acoustoelastography (AEG), is a new ultrasound-based tissue property evaluation technique for tendons. AEG determines stiffness gradient, the rate of change of normalized stiffness as a function of strain, by analyzing the changes in echo intensity observed in cine loops captured from gradually deforming tendon. Further, stiffness generally correlates with strength, so stiffness changes provide a useful functional metric. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that AEG is able to detect differences in stiffness between normal and injured equine SDFT in-vitro and in-vivo. The studies presented in this dissertation demonstrate that the elastic strain limit, in the equine SDFT is ~6%. AEG can detect changes in biomechanical properties in-vitro once damage has occurred. AEG can be applied in-vivo to measure stiffness in SDFT's in clinically normal horses. AEG measurement by a novice operators is as reliable as measurement by an experienced operator. However, sedation of the horse does affect AEG; therefore, the sedation regimen needs to be consistent during serial examination of a patient. Finally, we demonstrated that AEG is able to detect the loss in stiffness in equine SDFT associated with injury with 91.9% sensitivity and 81.6% specificity. In addition, AEG is also able to identify increases in stiffness during healing. This dissertation suggests that AEG is a promising new imaging technology that can be used for the non-invasive evaluation of equine SDFT injury. Use of AEG can improve detection, monitoring and treatment of tendon injury and may ultimately shorten healing time. The findings of this dissertation will be used as the bases for future research and clinical studies to refine the technology and to investigate the use of AEG in other tendons.

This comprehensive text not only covers basic principles of horseshoeing, but also focuses on medical and surgical foot care management. Starting with the anatomy and physiology of the equine foot, this one-of-a-kind book then evaluates the foot, its pathological conditions (including structural, developmental, and traumatic conditions in addition to laminitis), balancing and shoeing the healthy and diseased equine hoof, and ends with a chapter on new directions in equine podiatry, written by cutting-edge researchers in the field. Written by and for both veterinarians and farriers, this book makes it easier for veterinarians and farriers to collaborate on the proper care and shoeing of the horse's foot. Text is devoted entirely to equine podiatry — with 70 percent to 80 percent of lameness problems involving the foot, this comprehensive discussion is invaluable to the equine practitioner. Highly respected and qualified authors from all over the world provide expert information, along with a chapter on the future of equine podiatry. Beautiful 4-color design and art program gives the reader helpful visual aids that clarify explanations in the text.