Current and Emerging Quantitative Imaging Modalities for Diagnosing and Monitoring Equine Tendon and Ligament Injuries.

Technological developments in imaging modalities have advanced the diagnostic capabilities for equine tendon and ligament injuries beyond the traditional methods. This review examines elastography techniques in ultrasonography that assess tissue stiffness and strain properties, computed tomography (CT) innovations including PET/CT fusion and dual-energy CT, and emerging applications of diffusion-weighted MRI for evaluating fiber microstructure and functionality. These complementary approaches offer veterinarians improved means to detect early injuries, assess structural integrity, monitor healing progression, and potentially predict functional outcomes of equine soft tissue injuries, addressing limitations of conventional imaging methods.