[Description and determination of the diameter of arteries and veins in the hindlimb of cattle using B-mode ultrasonography].

Abstract

The large arteries and veins of both metatarsal and digital regions of 14 healthy, non-pregnant cows with a mean age of 6.1 +/- 1.7 years were examined sonographically (real-time B-mode system with a 7.5 MHz linear-transducer). The ultrasonographic imaging of the larger vessels was investigated, diameters were measured, especially of the digital veins, in which intravenous regional anaesthesia and antibiosis is usually applied. Three measurements per cow on each distal hindlimb were noted over a period of 3 weeks using defined anatomical locations. The mean diameter of the vessels were as follows: Arteria (A.) dorsalis pedis 4.1 +/- 0.4 mm, Vena (V.) dorsalis pedis 5.2 +/- 0.5 mm, A. metatarsea dorsalis III 3.3 +/- 0.4 mm, A. digitalis dorsalis communis III 3.9 +/- 0.4 mm, V. digitalis dorsalis communis III 2.7 +/- 0.4 mm, V. digitalis plantaris communis IV 2.1 +/- 0.4 mm, V. digitalis plantaris communis II 2.1 +/- 0.3 mm, V. metatarsea plantaris lateralis 4.5 +/- 0.8 mm, V. metatarsea plantaris medialis 4.4 +/- 0.6 mm. The Ramus cranialis of the V. saphena lateralis, the A. and V. digitalis plantaris communis III and the A. digitalis plantaris communis II and IV could only be imaged in a few cases. Except for V. digitalis dorsalis communis III, statistical analysis of the mean diameters of the examined vessels of the right and the left distal hindlimb in 14 cows revealed no significant differences (P < 0.05). B-mode ultrasonography proved a suitable method for imaging and examination of the vessels larger than 1 mm in the distal bovine hindlimb and can be recommended as the non-invasive method of choice for the examination of blood vessels in cattle.