Use of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of bone marrow edema in the equine distal limb: six cases

摘要

In equine practice Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been proved as a gold standard imaging technique for investigation of lameness, because it permits evaluation of tendons, ligaments, cartilage and mineralized structures at the same time. The terms “bone bruise”, “bone contusion” or “occult fractures” have been used interchangeably by many authors to describe trabecular injuries related to Bone Marrow Edema (BME). BME was first described by Yao and Lee in 1988: it consists of deformations and microfractures of trabecular bone, associated with edema and haemorrhages, due to direct trauma on subchondral bone, tear injuries or is related to chronic degenerative process leading to intraosseous avascular necrosis. Frequently, these pathological changes cannot be detected using conventional diagnostic techniques (Vanhoenacker and Snoeckx 2007). The aim of this study is to describe the MRI changes characteristic of BME in the equine distal limb.