Positron Emission
Tomography
Announcing the newest addition to our Alamo Pintado Imaging Center.
The powerful nuclear imaging technique commonly used in human medicine is now available to Alamo Pintado’s equine patients to better evaluate orthopedic injury. PET allows for superior imaging of physiologic bone injury prior to the development of morphologic changes that would be identified using radiographs or CT later on in the progression of disease. PET can be used to further determine the precise cause of lameness when other conventional modalities are unclear or demonstrate multiple lesions of unknown significance. Importantly and unlike other available imaging techniques, PET offers a unique ability to quantify the physiologic activity and therefore severity of both bone and soft tissue lesions so healing can be monitored as rehabilitation progresses. PET is synergistic with other advanced imaging modalities as it provides a not seen before functional dimension that can be overlaid or fused with the structural view provided by the Alamo Pintado MRI, CT, and Digital Radiographs. Together these modalities provide an unmatched view of the lower limb in the horse.
Above: PET scan results clearly indicating bone inflammation associated with severe navicular degeneration and secondary coffin joint subluxation.
“Having access to the most cutting edge technologies and tools available, means getting the most definitive diagnosis for the horse. ”
Benefits of PET at APEMC include:
No Anesthesia MILE-PET® is the only PET device for imaging of limbs in standing, lightly sedated horses without anesthesia.
Fast Positioning A mobile device, MILE-PET®, can easily be positioned over a limb of a standing, sedated horse. Adjustable detector height allows access to all joints in the distal limb, including foot, fetlock, carpus, and tarsus.
PET Ring Opens for Safety As a safety measure, the device easily opens should the horse decide to step out of the device.
Built-in Motion Correction MILE-PET employs sophisticated algorithms to correct for any motion made by the animal moving inside the scanner..
Integrated Multimodality Software Our Alamo doctors are able to combine and overlay PET imaging with results from other imaging modalities such as radiographs, MRI, and CT in order to assist them in obtaining the most accurate definitive diagnosis for your horse.