Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Second Edition. Edited by Chris Zink and Janet B. Van Dyke.
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Radiography

Radiography is the foundation of musculoskel-
etal imaging and should be considered a basic
component of a thorough musculoskeletal eval-
uation after lameness has been localized to a
specific region. Typical radiographic images

consist of orthogonal views, or the standard

two views of the area of interest. These include

lateral and dorsal (dorsoventral, dorso‐palmar/

plantar, craniocaudal) projections. In most cir-

cumstances these views will provide significant

information. However, when working with per-

formance animals, radiographic abnormalities

Imaging in Canine Sports

Medicine

Jennifer Brown, DVM, DACVS-LA, DACVSMR, CCRT, CVSMT, and

Kimberly E. Henneman, DVM, DACVSMR, DABT, FAAVA, CVA, CVC

20

Summary

Diagnostic imaging is an important component of the evaluation of injuries to the

musculoskeletal system in the sports medicine and rehabilitation patient. Without a

specific diagnosis, it is difficult to design a treatment and rehabilitation plan. While the

physical exam is the first step toward diagnosis, appropriate imaging modalities should

be used to further determine what may be causing the clinical signs, as well as to

determine severity. Imaging techniques can also be used to screen for areas of future

concern for an individual, and may help guide conditioning plans and limitations to

patients’ sporting or work activities. For example, screening radiographs taken in a

sound canine athlete may identify mild degenerative changes in a joint that may not be

clinically significant at that time. This information can assist both the sports medicine

specialist and the client in determining an appropriate exercise and conditioning pro-

gram to protect those areas from further damage, as well as provide a baseline for

monitoring over time, especially if lameness becomes an issue in the future.

The availability of advanced imaging modalities has grown in the past several dec-

ades, and they are now widely used beyond research and university settings. With this

increased access, a more comprehensive evaluation of bone and soft tissue structures

can be performed using multiple diagnostic imaging techniques.