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
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