SAEVA Proceedings 2018 4. Proceedings | Page 160

SAEVA Congress 2018 Proceedings | 12-15 February 2018 | ATKV Goudini Spa Normal Ultrasonographic Appearance of Skeletal Muscle Normal skeletal muscle appears ultrasonographically as hypoechoic muscle fibers laced with and surrounded by echoic fascia, connective tissue and fat. In short axis section the normal muscle has a “marbled” or speckled appearance, which is unique for each individual muscle, as is its striated long axis appearance. The non-weight bearing muscle appears more echoic than the same muscle when the horse is fully weight bearing. Therefore, comparisons between contralateral muscles should be made when the horse is normally weight bearing. Stifle The medial, middle and lateral patellar ligaments can be imaged in their entirety from origin to insertion. They are homogeneously echoic with a parallel fiber pattern. They vary in shape from a triangular to heart shaped medial patellar ligament to a round middle patellar ligament to a flattened and wide lateral patellar ligament. The proximal portion of the lateral patellar ligament extends over the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur. There is a large fat pad in the distal portion of the stifle separating the distal portion of the patellar ligaments from the synovial membrane. A small amount of joint fluid is usually imaged in the normal femoropatellar joint caudal to the medial patellar ligament and caudal to the lateral patellar ligament. Synovial villi are usually imaged in the medial recess of the femoropatellar joint. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments extend from a recess in the distal femur to the proximal tibia. The medial collateral ligament is attached to the medial meniscus while the lateral collateral ligament is separated from its meniscus by the popliteal tendon. Lateral collateral ligament of stifle joint near its origin 155