# Radiographic imaging of the entheses of the equine thoracic foot

## TL;DR

This study identifies the best radiographic views for visualizing key ligament and tendon attachments in the horse's foot, aiding in diagnosing injuries.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed description of optimal radiographic projections for visualizing entheses in the equine thoracic foot.

## Key findings

- The D60°PrPaDO and LM projections best visualize the entheses of the studied tendons and ligaments.
- The DP projection also clearly shows the insertion of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint.
- A limitation is the inability to distinguish between lateral and medial sides of the feet in the projections.

## Abstract

An injury of a tendon or ligament of the equine foot is frequently a cause of lameness. The optimal radiographic projections delineating the entheses of five commonly injured tendons and ligaments of the foot should be described.

The entheses of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint, the collateral sesamoidean ligaments of the navicular bone, the deep digital flexor tendon, the common digital extensor tendon and the distal sesamoidean impar ligament were isolated from a thoracic foot of three cadavers. Three standard radiographic projections (60‐degree, dorsoproximal‒palmarodistal oblique [D60°PrPaDO] projection, lateromedial [LM] projection and dorsopalmar [DP] projection) were obtained of each foot, with the entheses of the selected tendons and ligaments identified with a marker.

The entheses of all structures analysed in this study were best identified on the D60°PrPaDO and LM projections. The insertion of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint was also easily identified on the DP projection.

A limitation was the inability to distinguish between lateral and medial sides of the feet.

The radiographic images of the foot created in this study can serve as a guide for identifying enthesopathies of the ligaments and tendons of the equine foot.