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.

ATLAS OF EQUINE ULTRASONOGRAPHY A THOROUGH EXPANSION TO THE FIRST ATLAS OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN THE HORSE, WITH NEW AND SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IMAGES Ultrasonography is a vital diagnostic tool that can be applied in numerous functions in a veterinary practice. In conjunction with relevant clinical information—patient history and physical examination findings, for example—it can act as an important aid in the veterinarian’s decision-making process. Many vets in equine practice rely upon ultrasonography as a mainstay of equine diagnostic imaging on a wide range of structures and body systems. Ultrasonography is a useful procedure that is non-invasive and acts in complement to radiography to successfully diagnose the animal’s condition. This book’s aim is to encourage the clinician to rely further on the use of ultrasonography in their practice. The second edition of Atlas of Equine Ultrasonography provides an updated and expanded revision of the first atlas of ultrasonography in the horse. The first edition of this important resource was the first pictorially-based book to cover ultrasonography in the horse, and remains the only book currently available on the subject. The current version offers 450 additional images with greater clarity and precision in the images throughout and demonstrates how to obtain images in each body region while offering clinical ultrasonograms that show pathology. Atlas of Equine Ultrasonography readers will also find: High-quality clinical ultrasonograms for important musculoskeletal, reproductive, and medical conditions in the horse More than 1,500 images, with accompanying concise text describing the images A companion website that provides video clips showing dynamic ultrasound exams Atlas of Equine Ultrasonography is an invaluable reference to any veterinarian evaluating ultrasonograms in equine patients. As a result, this book will be of particular interest to equine specialists, veterinary radiologists, equine practitioners, and veterinary students.

The Sixth Edition of Adams and Stashak’s Lameness in Horses builds on the book’s reputation as the classic gold-standard reference on equine lameness. Now in full color, the text has been fully revised and streamlined to improve user-friendliness, with a new, simplified format and a stronger emphasis on the diagnosis and management of lameness. A valuable supplementary DVD provides a complete guide to diagnosing lameness, offering additional anatomical images; video clips demonstrating key procedures such as physical examination, flexion tests, perineural and intrasynovial anesthesia; and examples of lameness conditions in motion. The Sixth Edition presents new or significantly rewritten chapters on the axial skeleton, principles of musculoskeletal disease, principles of therapy for lameness, occupation-related lameness conditions, and lameness in the young horse. The diagnostic procedures chapter has also been significantly expanded to reflect advances in this important area. Adams and Stashak’s Lameness in Horses, Sixth Edition is an essential addition to any equine practitioner’s bookshelf.