Computed tomographic evaluation of the distal limb in the standing sedated horse: Technique, imaging diagnoses, feasibility, and artifacts

In several veterinary institutions, adjustments of CT machines have been made that allow for imaging of the standing horse. The risk of general anesthesia is eliminated and the shorter scan completion time reduces cost to clients. The objective of this retrospective, analytical study was to evaluate the technique, imaging diagnoses, feasibility, and image artifacts of multi-slice helical CT of horses’ distal limbs acquired under standing sedation. The CT images of 250 horses of various breeds, aged 3–23 years, that underwent standing distal limb CT were evaluated. Three observers assessed the CT images for artifacts and inter-observer agreement was calculated. Eighty-six percent (95% confidence interval (CI), 81–90) of the scans were carried out on the forelimbs, while 14% (95% CI, 10–19) were of the hindlimbs. A total of 65% (95% CI, 59–71) of horses that underwent standing sedated CT had single imaging diagnoses. Seventy-one percent (95% CI, 65–77) of the cases had unilateral lesions, 27% (95% CI, 22–33) had bilateral lesions and 2% (95% CI, 1–4) had no diagnosed lesions. The average CT acquisition time was 17.5 minutes (range = 15–20). The average number of acquisitions per horse was 1.7 (median = 1; range = 1–4). There was good to excellent agreement between all three observers for the presence of motion artifact in the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joints, identification of marked beam hardening artifact, mild solar/ skin dirt, and photon starvation artifact (kappa 0.61-0.80). No complications were encountered. Standing examination of the distal limb achieved diagnostic image quality that was obtained with minimal acquisition attempts and in a timely manner.