Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the foot region of the standing horse

One foot of 203 horses with diagnosed palmar foot pain (digital palmar nerve block and/or distal interphalangeal joint block positive) were examined in a standing position with lowfield MRI. The clinical significance of the MRI findings was evaluated statistically in comparison to the results of the diagnostic anaesthetics and the radiological findings. In 55,2 % of the patients were diagnosed with more than one pathologic finding in MRI with no changes on radiographs. 35,8 % of the horses with a radiologic diagnosis showed additional soft tissue injuries, oedema- like findings or sclerosis in the bone in MRI. Just 7,3 % of the cases showed no abnormalities in both MRI and radiography. Only 29,3 % of the MRI findings in horses with positive distal interphalangeal joint blocks were located intraarticularly. The majority of the pathological findings were extraarticular. The most frequent soft tissue injuries were pathologic changes in the deep digital flexor tendon and/or its insertion (44,3 %) followed by injuries to the collateral ligament of the distal interphalangeal joint (15,8 %), changes in the distal sesamoidean impar ligament (2 %) and abnormalities of the podotrochlear bursa (32 %). Other findings were distal phalanx fractures, keratomas, infections and cyst like lesions of the distal phalanx. For horses with palmar foot pain MRI provides more detailed information than radiography alone in a region that is hard to examine ultrasonographically. It helps to improve selection of adequate therapy and prognosis for injuries in this region.