Bone Scan for Mystery 'Offness' - Long

hopscotch bandit said:
No you are wrong there VC as neuro issues are due to impingement of the vertebrae and the pinching of the related nerves a bone scan would show narrowing in the space between the spinal column
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Not quite, not all neuro problems will show on a bone scan and even with the example you give it will only show on a bone scan in the narrowing is active and remodelling, not it it's set and inactive, even if there is still nerve impingement. A bone scan is a very useful tool but as far as Im aware it cannot rule out all neuro issues !
I hope you horse continues to improve, you seem to be doing everything you can, it's so difficult when they are not right when the cause isn't clear
 
hopscotch bandit said:
No you are wrong there VC as neuro issues are due to impingement of the vertebrae and the pinching of the related nerves a bone scan would show narrowing in the space between the spinal column.
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Bone scans don't show the bones, HB. I'm pretty sure that they only show what areas of the bones have taken up the radioactive isotope more than other areas, and that only happens where there is active remodeling going on. Not all neuro issues are caused by bones clashing. I'm pretty sure a standard wobbler impingement with a narrowing of C3 and out of step C4 won't show on a bone scan unless the bones are also arthritic. But the nerves will be being pinched, causing the symptoms.


OP, I really pleased that you have some answers and a happier horse :)
 
I saw my friend at the weekend whose horse had wobblers and on chatting to her realized now that I said in my previous post MRI when I meant to say myelogram.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
No you are wrong there VC as neuro issues are due to impingement of the vertebrae and the pinching of the related nerves a bone scan would show narrowing in the space between the spinal column. Usually for suspected neuro when a neuro exam is insufficient proof an MRI can be conducted and they will inject dye into the spinal cord to show any impingement.However as this would necessitate a GA it might not necessarily be the best idea for a horse who would struggle to rise to its feet, as coming around from anaethasia is often fraught with problems with the potential for a giddy horse to break a leg. So a giddy horse with neuro problems would be even more of a danger.
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Sorry for the delayed response on this one hopscotch bandit! Thankfully his head, neck, and back were all clear and we've figured it out so I'm glad to say it isn't neurological, but thank you for the interesting info!
 
Thank you everyone for your advice and thoughts, yes, he has gone from good to better and has finally got his zing back! We went out to compete and qualified for dressage nationals in September, I'm over the moon. It's unbelievable what a difference a bit of turnout makes. If anyone wants to follow his progress I've been keeping a blog (although haven't gone into much detail about his health issues cos that doesn't cause for a fun read!!)

https://huntingformydressagehorse.blogspot.co.uk/
 
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