The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of palmar foot pain

摘要

Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] is a multiplanar, 3-dimensional imaging modality, which does not use ionising radiation and provides excellent anatomical detail of bone and soft tissues on the same image. Using a combination of pulse sequences, the modality is able to generate a huge number of high-resolution images, which has contributed significantly to our understanding of pathology in the equine distal limb. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the region to be imaged and the physics behind the generation of the images is required to avoid misinterpretation of images.High field (>1 Tesla] and low field MR systems designed for the medical field are in use in veterinary referral centres in Europe and the USA. Imaging of equine patients in many of these systems is limited to the head and the distal limbs only, given thedimensions of the bore of the magnet in human systems (Whitton eta/. 2003; Werpy 2007). A low field [0.27 Tesla] open, permanent magnet was developed in 2002 specifically for use in MR imaging of the distal limbs of the standing sedated horse, althoughanaesthetised horses can also be imaged in this system (Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging Ltd, Guildford, UK).