Lameness of the distal limb of the horse and pony,
particularly in the forelimb, is still a very common area of
work in all types of general and equine practice. One of
the most important parts of the logical workup of these
cases is the localisation of the source of pain by
diagnostic analgesia techniques. Many of these are
easily within the grasp of general equine practice and
this course hopes to inspire the attending delegates to
begin using these techniques in clinical cases. At the
same time an understanding of how diagnostic analgesia
techniques are used and interpreted, plus some of their
problems and complications, is essential and will be
highlighted in the lectures.
After the pain source is identified, diagnostic imaging
techniques will help determine a possible pathological
process and ultimately a treatment regimen and
prognosis. Over the last two decades one of the most
useful and adaptable of these modalities has been
ultrasonography. It is used not only for tendon and
ligament examination, but also for other soft tissues
such as muscle, and increasingly for bone surface and
joint pathology. This course aims to educate the
delegates as to the wide range of opportunities to use
ultrasonography in the distal limb of the horse and via
the wet lab enable them to try out some of these
techniques themselves. Extra time will be available after
lectures for discussion and delegates will be encouraged
to interact fully with tutors in the wet labs, case based
and open discussions. The practical experiences of a
group of university and practice-based equine clinicians,
of vast experience in this field, along with a relaxed and
friendly atmosphere, will stimulate delegates to
assimilate knowledge on, and to try out, some of these
important techniques in the horse and pony.
Specific areas to be covered include: