MRI and advanced ultrasound technologies have transformed the diagnosis and management of horse tendon injuries, enabling more precise prognosis and individualized rehabilitation programs that reduce unnecessary suffering.
Tendon injuries cause significant, often prolonged pain in horses. The welfare implications of poor diagnosis include inappropriate rehabilitation that causes re-injury, extended recovery times, and in severe cases, euthanasia for horses with conditions that better imaging would have revealed as manageable. Advanced imaging enables evidence-based rehabilitation plans that match exercise intensity to actual healing progress, prevent premature return to work, and identify when conservative management is insufficient. These technologies have significantly improved both welfare outcomes and the accuracy of prognosis for affected horses.