Equine Standing MRI Now Operating Opposite Belmont Park

Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialties use state-of-the-art imaging system to help assess lameness

Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists have a new way to image the equine lower limb thanks to their new standing MRI (sMRI) system. The system, which was installed in June, allows veterinarians to use MRI to accurately diagnose lameness without the time, expense or risk of general anesthesia that is required with traditional MRI because the horse stands under light sedation for the procedure.

“We are very proud to have Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists as one of our newest sites,” says Dan Brown, BVSc, MRCVS, business development director at Hallmarq. “Like many other clinics, they are working to treat lameness injuries in a more effective manner and perhaps more importantly, determine if they can predict and prevent issues before they happen.”

MRI is the leading tool in lameness prevention and diagnosis as it can show both soft tissue and bony lesions weeks before they might be seen on a radiograph.

“The advantage of sMRI is that it doesn’t require general anesthesia, which carries significant risk of injury or even death in horses,” says Brown. “With our system, you simply walk the horse into the machine to do the scans.”

By eliminating the need for general anesthesia, horses can be scanned multiple times. This allows veterinarians to quickly and safely diagnose issues as well as continue to image the horse as treatment progresses.

“The benefits are really two-fold,” says Alan Nixon, DVM, chief medical officer of Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists. “We are able to more accurately diagnose horses, and we are also evolving the way we practice equine medicine, especially when it comes to racehorses. We want to be able to determine the soundness of a horse prior to putting them in any competition or training regime. The standing MRI system from Hallmarq lets us do that more easily and more often without putting the horse at risk. Essentially, it is a tool that allows us to offer more in the management of equine athletes.”

With the location of the hospital, the system is placed in a prime location to get lots of use. “There are Hallmarq systems in more than 20 countries and 27 sites in North America,” Brown says. “This is our first site in the state of New York, which will benefit the entire region.”

Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists extends the reach of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine Equine Hospital. For more information on Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists or to make an appointment, visit http://ruffian.cornell.edu.

For more information on standing MRI, visit www.hallmarq.net.