Improvement of Motion Correction during scintigraphic examination of the equine thoracic and lumbar spine in standing horses

Optimierung der Bewegungskorrektur während der szintigraphischen Untersuchungder Wirbelsäule des stehenden Pferdes

Sporn A, Berner D, Brehm W, Winter K, Mageed M, Studt M, Gerlach K

DOI: 10.21836/PEM20140113
Year: 2014
Volume: 30
Issue: 1
Pages: 91-97

Image quality of equine bone scintigrams of the thoracic spine is negatively affected by the continuous, slightly swaying movements of the standing sedated horse. In this study scintigraphic images of the thoracic spine of horses without (group 1) and with two radioactive markers (group 2) were investigated. Images were taken two, four and six hours (2h, 4h, 6h) after administration of 99mTc-HDP. After movement correction eight regions of interests (ROIs) were drawn in the images, four in the spinous processes and four in the adjacent soft tissue. The bone and soft-tissue uptake were determined and compared between the groups and the different time points. Afterwards computerized image analysis was used to define the contrast via bone to soft-tissue ratio as a measure of image quality. The bone to soft-tissue ratio was significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 at every time point after injection (2h: p=0.001; 4h: p=0.006; 6h: p=0.009). Bone scintigrams acquired with radioactive markers result in better summation images. Therefore, it is recommended to investigate the thoracic and lumbar spine in the standing sedated horse with additional radioactive markers.