Friendship Veterinary Imaging Center

05/27/2026

Bone Scan and The Thoracic Spine

Nuclear scintigraphy (commonly referred to as bone scan) has great utility for evaluation of bony abnormalities throughout the spine in horses. These images show moderate radiopharmaceutical uptake in the regions of both the left and right articular processes of T18-L1 of a middle age warmblood gelding. Differentials for this degree of uptake include stress fracture or osteoarthritis.

Stress fractures of the vertebral column are relatively common in racehorses and patients can present with surprisingly mild clinical signs including poor performance and non-specific lameness issues. A study consisting of post-mortem evaluation of racing thoroughbreds revealed 50% of examined vertebral columns had evidence of previous stress fracture.

The location of uptake in the images of our patient was consistent with the articular process joint rather than the vertebral body itself. In horses, the lumbar spine is the least mobile segment of the spine. It is believed by some that the morphology of the joints in this segment of the spine allows absorption of excessive rotational torque which results in more pathology to the joints rather than vertebral bodies themselves. These forces can also cause formation of osteoarthropathy with or without a stress fracture and primary osteoarthropathy is another differential for the patient in our case.

Radiographs and/or ultrasonography are recommended for further assessment with treatment guided by the referring veterinarian. Repeat nuclear scintigraphy can be valuable to assess resolution or improvement.

Bonus fact: Can you guess what structure the blue arrow is pointing too? It is a kidney!

05/06/2026

Check out our small animal CT in action!

Goblin, Dr. Patterson’s kitty, has been dealing with recurrent ear infections, so a head CT was performed to rule out any underlying structural causes. During the procedure, Goblin was safely anesthetized and closely monitored. All of our patients under anesthesia are supported with ECG, pulse oximetry, and blood pressure monitoring to ensure their safety and comfort.

The scan did not reveal any structural abnormalities contributing to his ear issues, and Goblin recovered smoothly from the procedure. His next step is a visit with dermatology to help get to the root of the problem.

04/18/2026

Our condolences go out to all those who loved and cared for Tammy ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1cVZKwAgvZ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/15/2026

Congratulations to our own Dr. Patterson on winning the Beginner Novice 3 Day Classic at the Longleaf Horse Trials on her thoroughbred mare Iron Colony! The pairs persistence and grit paid off and we couldn’t be more proud. We are so grateful to the Carolina Horse Park for hosting such a wonderful event at their lovely venue and all the volunteers and sponsors that make the magic happen.

03/20/2026

The Carolina International is underway! We are honored to sponsor the CCI2*. Good luck to all the competitors. Wishing you a fun, safe and successful weekend!

Your Carolina International weekend, made easy. 📱

We’ve created a Quick Links page designed specifically for mobile use while you’re at the event. Need the schedule? Ride times? Vendor list? Grounds map? It’s all in one place for quick, easy access right from your phone.

No searching. No scrolling. Just everything you need, right when you need it.

👉 www.carolinahorsepark.com/carolina-international-quick-links

Save it, bookmark it, and keep it handy while you’re at the Park.💚



Pamela Jensen Photography

03/12/2026

We are looking for a special person to join our team!

We are seeking part-time help with general barn cleaning duties, horse handling, and occasional assistance with veterinary procedures. Potential for more hours and responsibilities for the right candidate. The position provides an opportunity to be part of a compassionate team providing high quality diagnostic imaging.

Applicants must be over 18 with previous horse experience. For more information or to submit a resume please email us at [email protected]

Friendship Veterinary Imaging Center provides accurate, complete, and timely reports for all imaging modalities, interventional procedures, and consultation services. Serving Central NC from our Vass location; Pinehurst to Fayetteville to Raleigh, we assist primary veterinarians in optimizing patien...

02/19/2026

Check out this action shot of Honeysuckle. Earlier this month she competed at the coursing and Fast CAT events at the Carolina Horse Park. Fast CAT is a timed 100 yard dash and she flew to win her division!

02/02/2026

Have you ever wondered what a CT of a pine cone looks like? We are lucky to live in the land of the Longleaf Pine so pine cones are abundant and we often use them for practice scans. Enjoy!

01/26/2026

Interesting Bone Scan Case!

Nuclear scintigraphy, commonly referred to as bone scan, is often selected as a diagnostic for a more global assessment of patients, particularly in cases with multiple limbs involved, suspected abnormalities of the spine or pelvis, or elusive injuries.

In these images the most significant finding is generalized uptake throughout the right tibia with intense focal uptake of the mid tibia. The most likely causes for the appearance of the right tibia were large enostosis-like lesion (also known as bone island) or stress fracture.

Enostosis-like lesions are regions of sclerotic or dense bone within the medullary cavities of long bones and are relatively common in equine patients. The exact etiology of these sclerotic regions is unknown but many believe they are the result of small stress fractures or, less likely, secondary to inflammation. The location of these lesions make them difficult to diagnose with palpation and diagnostic analgesia (blocking). Nuclear scintigraphy is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosis and for monitoring resolution. In a retrospective study of young racehorses with lameness referrable to enostosis-like lesions horses required 4-5 months off before returning to racing (Ahern, et al. JAVMA 2014)

Stress fractures of the proximal tibia are a common cause of hind end lameness in young racehorses. Most often, these injuries are correlated with a history of recent intense exercise and are also difficult to diagnose as they rarely respond to palpation and diagnostic analgesia, similar to enostosis-like lesions. Nuclear scintigraphy is the imaging modality of choice for diagnosing these injuries, as well. (Worden AAEP proceedings 2013).

Rest is indicated in these patients and repeat bone scan is recommended in 90-120 days to assess resolution of the increased uptake prior to return to work.

01/14/2026

Come with us as we delve into the history of our building and how it has evolved into a state of the art imaging center. We are honored to work in a space that has been committed to animal health since the 1950s and grateful we can continue to bring compassionate care to the community.

12/24/2025

Merry Christmas from Friendship Veterinary Imaging Center! Featuring Dr. Lustgarten’s dogs—Honeysuckle and Ms. Lilly Mae Violet—sending holiday cheer to all of our patients and their owners.