Many of horse owners and veterinarians feel like new technologies are leaving us in the dust on a regular basis. The Technology Update Table Topic session at the 2005 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Seattle, Wash., was designed to bring practitioners up to speed on the latest in digital radiograph systems, image storage and sharing, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound.

There are numerous benefits to digital radiograph systems, noted attendees. “Digital systems provide better soft tissue detail than conventional films,” said co-moderator Mark Martinelli, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, of California Equine Orthopedics. “And I think digital units can be cost-effective for most practices. Clients are more likely to request radiographs, such as of the feet, before and after shoeing, giving good feedback for the farrier.” He also noted that he sedates horses for imaging less because digital radiography is so quick.

However, just because radiographs are called digital doesn’t make them perfect, he noted. Not all systems provide the same quality, especially some sent from Europe. “I’m always nervous about doing a pre-purchase exam based on someone else’s prints,” he commented. “Then I’m at the mercy of whoever printed the films and what brightness/contrast settings they used