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  Discussion on Abnormal coffin bone x-rays
Author Message
New Member:
nader

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2019 - 9:43 pm:

Please take a look at the attached images and let me know what you think about the front coffin bones and his feet conformation in general.
This is a 4yo jumper gelding which is already jumping small fences. Sorry, the shoes not taken off!
New Member:
nader

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 26, 2019 - 9:45 pm:

Also, no lameness at this point. Future is the concern.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2019 - 5:58 am:

Welcome Nader,
Because of the limitations of viewing radiographs in this manner and the very limited ability of radiographs to predict the future soundness of a already sound horse, I cannot make a overall judgement as you ask. However I would be glad to discuss any specific concerns you have about these images: what do you see that concerns you? What does the veterinarian say?
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 27, 2019 - 1:30 pm:

Beautiful horse! I had a foundered horse and have spent a lot of time looking at compromised coffin bones. What is it that you think is abnormal? Usually, you see rotation where the coffin bone is no longer parallel with the outside hoof wall. https://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/4/5322.html

I don't know of other issues that can take place with the coffin bone other than infection and/or fractures. (No personal experience.)
New Member:
nader

Posted on Monday, Mar 4, 2019 - 5:41 pm:

Thank you for responding I guess there is nothing significantly wrong with his coffin bones. What attracted my attention was the fact that the right coffin bone seems smaller than the left and both (the smaller one more) shows a hazy crescent of opacity at the toe and both have notches. I am, for the most part, trying to educate myself in general about feet conformation and x-rays.
As another example, I am trying to understand if the rather sharp outline of the frog and the lucency surrounding it is normal or not. Any thoughts? Thanks again
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 5, 2019 - 8:32 am:

Though the size difference is interesting this could be technique (the distance of the machine from the foot) or do to processing and imaging. The point here is go out and measure the feet is the best way to determine if there is a size difference. The rest of your concerns are all normal radiographic features.
DrO
New Member:
nader

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 5, 2019 - 2:19 pm:

How about these coffin bones? Are these technique related as well? I have the LM views and I can post; they seem very normal.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 7, 2019 - 8:45 am:

I would say these look more like loss of bone on the anterior margin.
DrO
Member:
nader

Posted on Thursday, Mar 7, 2019 - 2:49 pm:

Thank you DrO for the response. Do you think this horse would have any symptoms? This is a 3yo gelding

The reason I was asking if these were x-ray anomalies is because the left distal phalanx seems to be in-tacked if you look beyond the shadow and the dorsal aspect of the same bone in the LM views of both feet look uniform and clean.

Do you think the LM views are consistent with the DP views?

Posting the LM views of the same feet.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Mar 11, 2019 - 4:16 pm:

Nader you don't diagnose lameness by looking at radiographs, you diagnose lameness by looking at the horse. If lame, localization leads to the area of interest and then possibly radiographs help you determine why the horse is lame. There are some really bad looking radiographs on sound horses and some great radiographs on lame horses, you have the cart before the horse with your questions.
DrO
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Mar 11, 2019 - 4:24 pm:

As for consistency, the apparent deminerialization in the first shots is not evident on the lateral views. "Why", would be a good question to the person taking the radiographs.
DrO
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