Gaida Julia L, Steinberg Tim, Stieger-Vanegas Susanne M, Merle Roswitha, Lischer Christoph J
Tierklinik Luesche GmbH, Bakum, Germany.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA.
Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2025 Jul;66(4):e70049. doi: 10.1111/vru.70049.
Recent technological advancements in CT have improved the ability to scan standing sedated horses. However, the impact of radiation exposure on veterinary staff while scanning the extremities of standing horses using this technique, compared with digital radiography (DR), remains unknown. This study compares the radiation exposure of imaging technicians assisting with multidetector CT (MDCT) and DR of the distal thoracic limb and tarsus in standing horses. Personal dose equivalent was measured on four body locations: thyroid gland, gonads, hand, and feet. Images of the distal thoracic limb (n = 12) and tarsus (n = 12) were obtained from 24 Warmblood horses using DR and MDCT. The DR included four views of the front fetlock (dorsopalmar, lateromedial, dorso45lateral-palmaromedial oblique, and dorso45medial-palmarolateral oblique), three views of the front foot (dorsopalmar, lateromedial and dorso65proximal-palmarodistal oblique) and four views of the tarsus (dorsoplantar, lateromedial, dorso45lateral-plantaromedial oblique and dorso45medial-planterolateral oblique). The MDCT scans included the distal metacarpus to the foot and the tarsus. Noninferiority testing showed lower radiation exposure to the imaging technician during MDCT of the distal thoracic limb and tarsus compared with DR, measured at the thyroid gland, hand, and feet. The radiation exposure to the gonads during MDCT of the thoracic limb was significantly higher than with DR. Nevertheless, the lower cumulative radiation exposure for the assisting imaging technician during MDCT compared with DR suggests that the tested MDCT setup enables advanced imaging of the distal limb in standing sedated horses, offering both reduced radiation exposure and avoiding the patient-related risks of general anesthesia.
CT技术的最新进展提高了对站立镇静马匹进行扫描的能力。然而，与数字X线摄影（DR）相比，使用该技术对站立马匹的四肢进行扫描时，辐射暴露对兽医工作人员的影响仍不清楚。本研究比较了在站立马匹的胸廓远端肢体和跗关节进行多排螺旋CT（MDCT）和DR检查时，协助检查的影像技术人员所接受的辐射暴露情况。在四个身体部位测量个人剂量当量：甲状腺、性腺、手部和足部。使用DR和MDCT从24匹温血马获取胸廓远端肢体（n = 12）和跗关节（n = 12）的图像。DR包括前跗关节的四个视图（背掌位、内外侧位、背45°外侧-掌内侧斜位和背45°内侧-掌外侧斜位）、前脚的三个视图（背掌位、内外侧位和背65°近端-掌远端斜位）以及跗关节的四个视图（背跖位、内外侧位、背45°外侧-跖内侧斜位和背45°内侧-跖外侧斜位）。MDCT扫描包括从掌骨远端到足部以及跗关节。非劣效性检验显示，在甲状腺、手部和足部测量时，与DR相比，MDCT检查胸廓远端肢体和跗关节时影像技术人员所接受的辐射暴露更低。胸廓肢体MDCT检查期间性腺所接受的辐射暴露显著高于DR检查。尽管如此，与DR相比，MDCT检查期间协助检查的影像技术人员累积辐射暴露更低，这表明所测试的MDCT设置能够对站立镇静马匹的远端肢体进行高级成像，既能减少辐射暴露，又能避免全身麻醉相关的患者风险。
