VetImaging Hosts Ultrasound Education Series at Adequan Global Dressage Facility

Dr. Philippe Benoit demonstrates his 'whole horse' approach at VetImaging's Ultrasound Series for veterinarians.

Wellington, FL - VetImaging, based in Irvine, CA, hosted Dr. Philippe Benoit for the fifth straight year as part of their commitment to providing resources in the rapidly expanding use of ultrasound. Dr. Benoit, one of the top respected international horse show veterinarians in the world, shared his techniques and approach in evaluations and using ultrasound to diagnose and aid treatment. Topic areas in this series included SI (sacroiliac) and Hind End Lameness for small groups of 12 veterinarians each held this February and March at the show grounds. Dr. Benoit’s interactive instruction gave visiting veterinarians plenty of opportunities for hands on practice starting with the initial exam of four demo horses. Benoit stressed the importance of  looking at the whole horse, not just focusing on the suspect problem area.{C}He also suggested palpating a horse throughout the exam, especially after the horse has warmed up to detect any changes. He often uses a surcingle on a horse after it has moved freely longing to note any reactions. He calls this a dynamic pressure test, as if you were running alongside palpating dorsal muscles in motion.
In high demand to vet upper level competition horses around the world for pre-purchase, Benoit says that taking videos of a horse walking and trotting a tight figure eight and on both reins on firm footing and under saddle on soft and hard ground can offer a wealth of information saving time and expense for both buyers and veterinarians. He shared many practical tips applicable to evaluating any horse.

Ultrasound: Dynamic and Evolving

Dinner with video presentations, anatomical models and a full day hands on ultrasound guided injections on the presented horses complemented the exams.
Dr. Suzan Oakley of Oakley Equine Sports Medicine, De Leon Springs, FL, has taught ultrasound wet labs for VetImaging for several years and worked with Dr. Benoit last year at the Wellington labs.
“Ultrasound is my favorite imaging modality because there are so many soft tissue structures that you can evaluate, as well as bone surfaces and joints,” says Dr. Oakley. ‘It’s a very exciting time in the field of ultrasound because the technology is advancing rapidly, providing constantly improving resolution. This allows us to accurately image deeper structures and to better evaluate the fiber patterns in tendons and ligaments."

Hands on ultrasound guided injections to relieve back pain.

Oakley emphasizes that ultrasound is a dynamic imaging modality that requires a skilled operator who has a detailed knowledge of anatomy to obtain diagnostic images. The training of the operator and their knowledge of anatomy is critical. She likes that the VetImaging labs are practical and focus on hands on imaging time.
The other limitation with ultrasound is equipment quality. Image quality varies greatly with different equipment and equipment needs to be frequently updated to reap the advances in technology.

Dr. Suzan Oakley of Oakley Equine clarifies SI positioning technique on the model.

“In my opinion, the best way to obtain high quality ultrasound exams is to find a veterinarian who has advanced training in ultrasound and anatomy and is committed to keeping up with the evolving technology,” she says.
Another source of veterinary post graduate imaging education is ISELP (the International Society for Equine Locomotor Pathology iselp.org), an international organization that focuses on detailed advanced anatomy, imaging and lameness (president and main instructor is Professor Denoix). Veterinarians who are ISELP certified have advanced ultrasound training and have demonstrated competency by examination.

Dr. Philippe Benoit is president of International Sport Horse Veterinarian's Association.

VetImaging.com is on-line full service veterinary ultrasound solutions provider that offers veterinary ultrasound sales, service, support, ultrasound education and research resources.