Study tests elastography for equine patellar ligament imaging

A newly accepted Frontiers in Veterinary Science study reports that both strain elastography and two-dimensional shear wave elastography were feasible for evaluating the intermediate patellar ligament in horses, and that the techniques could distinguish sound horses from lame horses based on elasticity measurements. The paper, led by Paola Straticò and colleagues, was accepted May 4, 2026, in the journal’s Veterinary Imaging section, adding a new data point to the growing use of elastography as a complement to conventional equine musculoskeletal ultrasound. (frontiersin.org)

Why it matters: For equine veterinarians, the finding is notable because intermediate patellar ligament lesions can be difficult to interpret on routine ultrasound alone. Prior work has shown that ultrasonographic abnormalities in this ligament may coexist with other stifle pathology, and some horses can show persistent or even worsening ultrasound changes despite clinical improvement. A tool that measures tissue elasticity, rather than echogenicity and fiber pattern alone, could help refine stifle workups, especially in lame horses where the clinical significance of patellar ligament findings is uncertain. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: The next step will be whether larger, peer-reviewed publication data confirm repeatability, define normal reference ranges, and show how elastography changes correlate with treatment response and return to work. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)