Development of an Ultrasound Technique to Evaluate the Popliteal Complex in the Horse.
Authors: Møller-Jensen Merete, Blomquist Michaela Hansen, Mortensen Camilla Lamhauge, Olsson Isolde Katharina Christersdotter, Cuevas-Ramos Gabriel
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
The popliteal complex stabilises the postero-lateral stifle in other species, where injury commonly occurs alongside cruciate ligament, collateral ligament, and meniscal damage; yet this structure remains poorly characterised in horses despite stifle pathology being a significant cause of sport horse lameness. Møller-Jensen and colleagues developed a systematic ultrasound protocol by scanning both stifles of ten university teaching horses repeatedly, aiming to create a reproducible technique that could identify the popliteal tendon insertion point, anatomical variants, and the popliteal muscle belly. The resulting method allows consistent visualisation and examination of both the popliteal tendon and muscle, with the protocol demonstrating sufficient reliability to warrant integration into standard equine stifle ultrasonography protocols. Given that stifle injuries frequently involve multiple concurrent structures, the ability to systematically assess the popliteal complex during routine lameness investigations offers clinicians an additional tool for identifying subtle pathology in the postero-lateral compartment that might otherwise be overlooked. Farriers and physiotherapists working with lame horses should be aware that veterinary surgeons now have a validated technique available for this previously under-examined region, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy where stifle-related lameness is suspected.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Veterinarians now have a standardized ultrasound technique to evaluate the popliteal complex in lame horses with stifle problems, improving diagnostic capability for this previously under-reported structure
- •Injury to the popliteal complex should be considered in horses with posterior knee pain or lameness, particularly when other postero-lateral corner structures (collateral ligament, meniscus, cruciate ligament) are involved
- •The existence of anatomical variants between individual horses means that baseline imaging of the contralateral limb is important for interpreting popliteal pathology
Key Findings
- •A systematic ultrasound technique was developed that reliably and consistently identifies the popliteal tendon insertion and anatomical variants in horses
- •The technique allows examination of both the popliteal tendon and popliteal muscle in 20 equine stifles (10 horses)
- •Anatomical variants of the popliteal tendon were identified among individual horses, suggesting potential functional differences
- •The developed ultrasound protocol can be incorporated into standard equine stifle examination routines for clinical lameness evaluation