Ultrasonography of the equine cervical region: a descriptive study in eight horses.
Authors: Berg L C, Nielsen J V, Thoefner M B, Thomsen P D
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Ultrasonography of the Equine Cervical Region Diagnosing cervical pathology in horses remains clinically challenging due to the anatomically complex nature of the neck and limited reference material for ultrasonographic interpretation. Berg and colleagues addressed this gap by performing transverse ultrasound scans from C2 through T1 in eight horses, correlating their findings with post-mortem cross-sectional anatomy to establish a detailed normal reference atlas. The study demonstrated clear ultrasonographic visualisation of the articular facet joints, cervical vertebrae and surrounding soft tissue structures, with good concordance between ultrasound images and actual anatomical cross-sections. Notably, the researchers documented considerable anatomical variation between individual horses and between different cervical levels in terms of facet joint orientation and morphology, which they attributed to natural variation rather than pathology. For practitioners performing cervical ultrasound examinations, these findings underscore the importance of establishing baseline understanding of normal anatomical variation to avoid misinterpreting benign structural differences as clinically significant lesions; the reference images and descriptions provided offer an evidence-based framework for systematic evaluation of cervical conditions.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Ultrasonography provides a quick, noninvasive diagnostic tool for evaluating cervical pathology when clinical signs suggest neck involvement
- •Expect natural variation in facet joint anatomy between horses and along the cervical spine; use this reference material to distinguish normal variants from pathology
- •This study establishes baseline normal ultrasonographic images essential for accurate diagnosis of cervical facet joint disease and vertebral abnormalities in clinical practice
Key Findings
- •Ultrasonographic images of normal cervical anatomy (C2-T1) showed consistency with corresponding frozen cross-sectional anatomy
- •Articular facet joint morphology varied between individual horses and between different cervical levels (C2 to T1)
- •Discrepancies were identified in existing anatomical descriptions of the cervical region
- •Clear visualization of cervical vertebrae, synovial articular facet joints, and paravertebral structures was achieved with transverse ultrasonography