Attenuation From Shoes and Pads in Equine Nuclear Scintigraphy, With Relevance to Solar Views.
Authors: Walker Lea, Martinelli Mark J, Rantanen Norman, Drumond Bianca, Trostle Steven
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
Nuclear scintigraphy is a valuable diagnostic tool for investigating equine lameness and performance issues, particularly when solar (sole) views are needed to identify regions of abnormal radionuclide uptake in the foot, though the presence of farriery materials can compromise image quality. Researchers evaluated gamma radiation attenuation across five types of shoes (steel, aluminium, and polyurethane) and eight different pad materials by placing them directly on the detector and acquiring flood images from a point source, quantifying how composition, thickness, and material density affected photon penetration. Steel shoes caused the most significant attenuation at 54%, followed by aluminium shoes at 22%, whilst polymer-based shoes and pads produced the least attenuation at approximately 15%—all differences statistically significant. Given these substantial reductions in signal strength, the authors recommend removing shoes and pads before scintigraphic imaging of the front foot when solar views are diagnostically required. For practitioners involved in lameness investigations, this has clear implications: coordination between the farrier and imaging veterinarian is essential to ensure optimal diagnostic quality, and the choice to remove or retain farriery should be guided by whether anatomical detail in the sole region is critical to the diagnostic question.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Remove shoes and pads before nuclear scintigraphy solar (sole) views of the front foot to ensure diagnostic image quality and avoid false negatives
- •If shoes must remain on, expect significant signal degradation—particularly with steel shoes—which may mask or obscure pathology in the foot
- •Farriers and veterinarians should coordinate timing of scintigraphic examinations to allow for shoe removal when solar foot images are clinically indicated
Key Findings
- •Steel shoes cause 54% attenuation of gamma radiation, aluminum shoes 22%, and polymer-based shoes/pads 15%
- •All shoe and pad types tested caused statistically significant attenuation of radioactive signal (P < 0.05)
- •Material composition, thickness, and density directly affect the degree of gamma radiation attenuation