Better Equine Tendon Care with UTC Insights

Tendon injuries in equine athletes are common and challenging to manage. These injuries, especially in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), often result in long rehabilitation and uncertain outcomes. Prevention is the best approach, but advanced imaging now plays a vital role when injuries occur. Ultrasound Tissue Characterization (UTC) offers detailed insights into tendon health.

As Sarah Plevin, practitioner at Florida Equine Veterinary Associates in Ocala, explains in her article for TheHorse.com, presented during the AAEP 2020, “Injury prevention is always the goal; failing that, we need a method to optimally guide rehabilitation.”

Conventional ultrasound has limits

Traditional ultrasound is widely used but has drawbacks. Plevin writes, “We can use conventional ultrasound to confirm the presence of a core lesion, but we are often unable to fully evaluate tendon structure, follow healing, or provide effective rehabilitation guidelines post-injury.”

This is where UTC stands out. It provides 3D images that show the full structure of the tendon, helping veterinarians design better rehabilitation plans.

What makes UTC Imaging different?

UTC takes tendon imaging to the next level by providing a 3D reconstruction of the tendon and classifying tissue integrity using a color-coded system based on advanced algorithms. Plevin explains: “UTC classifies tendon tissue by color-coded echo types based on the integrity of the tendon ultrastructure—information that is only visible with an electron microscope.”

These classifications include:

• Green (Type I): Normal, well-aligned fibers.
• Blue (Type II): Wavy or swollen fibers, indicating remodeling.
• Red (Type III): Fibrillar components from partial ruptures.
• Black (Type IV): Fluid or amorphous tissue, representing severe damage.

This detailed view allows veterinarians to monitor how tendons respond to injury and rehabilitation, providing the data needed to create targeted treatment plans.

Improved rehabilitation with UTC

Rehabilitation is often challenging. The wrong exercise can slow healing. “Scientists have shown that appropriate progressive loading helps stimulate optimal tendon remodeling and healing—this is where this technique has the potential to be most useful,” Plevin explains.

By tracking progress with UTC, veterinarians can adjust exercise plans to fit the tendon’s condition. This approach improves outcomes and lowers the risk of reinjury.

Clinical applications and case studies

In her AAEP 2020 article, Plevin provides compelling examples of UTC in action. In one instance, a competitive horse presented with an acute injury that appeared straightforward. However, UTC scans revealed a mix of acute and chronic damage. “This insight required a completely different therapeutic approach and significantly improved the horse’s prognosis,” she states.

Such cases underscore the power of UTC to provide actionable data, enabling veterinarians to make informed decisions about treatment and rehabilitation.

The future of tendon care

As Plevin concludes, “UTC is more than just an imaging tool—it’s a step forward in how we understand, prevent, and treat tendon injuries.”

By combining early detection, precise staging, and tailored rehabilitation, UTC is setting a new standard in equine sports medicine. For equine athletes, this means fewer injuries, shorter recovery times, and longer, more successful careers.