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Equine Ultrasound-Guided Orthopaedic Injection Techniques & Therapies – A 2-Day Practical Course

Fri, 27 November, 2026 - Sat, 28 November, 2026

Species

Equine

Location

near Pisa, Italy

Contact Hours

14 Hours

Early Booking Deadline

Sun, 18 October, 2026

Registration Deadline

Fri, 30 October, 2026

Language

English (Italian Moderation)

Extras

Printed Set of Course Notes (pick up at venue) - USD 97.11

Sponsors
Discipline

Diagnostic Imaging

Orthopaedics

Surgery

Growth Partners

Europe

Veterinary Partners

Global
Europe

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Ultrasonography has become a crucially important diagnostic imaging modality in Equine Orthopaedics and most Equine Practitioners nowadays have access to the necessary equipment. A growing number of equine orthopaedic specialists have furthermore extended the use of ultrasonography creatively to assist with injection techniques and to facilitate minimally invasive surgery. This 2-day practical course has been developed to provide equine and mixed animal practitioners who have experience with ultrasonography, with the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills of performing ultrasound-guided orthopaedic injections and ultrasound-assisted surgical techniques, covering all regions of the musculoskeletal apparatus of the horse. Whole horses will be used to recreate a scenario as it might be encountered in live horses. A review of conventional and biologic treatment modalities for orthopaedic conditions will round the course up.

In the mornings the following topics will be covered in highly illustrated lectures and case presentations (in English, with Italian Moderation):

  • How to get the most out of your ultrasound machine
  • Principles of Ultrasound-Guidance
  • Ultrasound-Guided Tendon, Ligament & Navicular Bursa Injections
  • Ultrasound-Guided Upper Forelimb Injections (shoulder bicipital bursa and elbow, carpal sheath)
  • Ultrasound-Guided Upper Hindlimb Injections (stifle, hip and tarsal sheath)
  • Ultrasound-Guided Back Injections
  • Cervical Facet Joint Injections
  • Ultrasound-Guided Surgery
  • Lumbosacroiliac Injection Techniques
  • Conventional Intra-Articular & Intra-Lesional Therapies
  • What’s the latest on Regenerative Therapies?

Open and frank discussions are encouraged during the course and the speakers will share their personal experiences with attendees, be it successes or failures.

Between both afternoons, 7 hours of practical sessions will give attendees plenty of opportunity to train the different injection techniques on equine specimens and VetPD Joint Injection Simulators and to get tips and tricks in small groups (2 – 4 attendees per ultrasound machine), under the supervision of the specialists. Each attendee will rotate through the following practical stations:

  • Tendon & Ligament Injections
  • US-guided Forelimb Injections (Shoulder, Bicipital Bursa, Elbow)
  • US-guided Back (DSP & AFJs) & Hip Injection
  • Cervical Facet Joint Injections 
  • US-guided Sacroiliac Injection Techniques
  • The Carpal and Tarsal Sheath: US-guided Injection Techniques

The course fee includes lunches, coffee/tea breaks, extensive electronic course notes and a certificate of attendance. Attendees can choose to only attend the lectures (= Lectures Only) on this course or can register for the entire course (= Lectures & Practical Sessions). Early course registration via the VetPD website www.vetpd.com is recommended as there are only a limited number of places available.

This course is suitable for RCVS Modules: B-EP.3; C-E.4; C-E.5; C-E.6; C-E.7; C-E.15; C-E.17

Roger Smith is Professor of Equine Orthopaedics at the Royal Veterinary College, London, UK. He qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Cambridge University (UK) in 1987, having obtained a First for his undergraduate degree and a Cambridge Blue at swimming. After 2 years in practice, he returned to academia to undertake further clinical training as a Resident in Equine Studies at the Royal Veterinary College. Following his residency, he undertook a 3 year research project culminating in the award of a PhD for his studies on the extracellular matrix of equine tendon.

He remained at the Royal Veterinary College, first as a Lecturer in Equine Surgery, then as Senior Lecturer in Equine Surgery before his appointment as Professor in Equine Orthopaedics in December 2003.

He holds the Diploma of Equine Orthopaedics from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Specialist in Equine Surgery. He is a Diplomate of the European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and is also a Large Animal Associate of the European College of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging.

In 2016, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for meritorious contribution to knowledge and was elected to president of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in July 2017.

He divides his time between running a specialist orthopaedic referral service within the Royal Veterinary College, where he is involved in lameness diagnostics, imaging and orthopaedic surgery, and continuing to direct research into equine tendon disease. His principal research interests are understanding the pathogenesis of tendon disease, diagnostics for tendon and ligament disease, and stem cell therapy for tendons in both horses and humans.

He is married to a medical doctor and has two sons.

More Info

David is a European Specialist in Equine Surgery and his main areas of interest are orthopaedic surgery, lameness, and diagnostic imaging. David qualified from University College Dublin in 2003, before travelling to the US, where he worked for four years in equine veterinary practice. Subsequently returning to Ireland, he established his own equine ambulatory practice, focusing on imaging and treatment of equine athletes. He completed an equine surgery residency programme at University College Dublin before successfully passing the ECVS examination in 2017. David moved to the UK in 2016, where he worked as a surgeon in private practice for 2 years before moving to the Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital at the University of Liverpool where he is now Head of Hospital. His most recent research is in pelvic and caudal back CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and back surgery. He has also published work in the fields of ultrasound-guided sacroiliac and cervical facet injection techniques, joint surgery, and synovial sepsis.

More Info

Henk graduated from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, in 1988. He spent the six years that followed working in two equine clinics in the north and southwest of The Netherlands. In 1994, Henk joined Lingehoeve Diergeneeskunde equine referral hospital in the heart of the Netherlands as equine veterinarian in the ambulatory practice. Since 2000, he has specialised in orthopaedics including lameness exams, pre-purchase exams and diagnostic imaging (radiology, ultrasound, scintigraphy and contrast CT). Henk gained his ISELP certification in 2008.

More Info

Please download the Program PDF to view it: Download PDF

Venue

University of Pisa - Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Livornese, 786, 56122 San Piero A Grado PI, Italy

CONTACT DETAILS

University of Pisa
Department of Veterinary Sciences
Viale delle Piagge 2
56124 Pisa

Tel: 0502210117
Email: micaela.sgorbini@unipi.it


 

NEARBY AIRPORTS & PUBLIC TRANSPORT

International Airports

8km: Pisa International Airport

92km: Amerigo Vespucci Airport, Florence

Bus stops near Ospedale Didattico Veterinario Mario Modenato in Pisa

S.Guido Veterinaria, 6 min walk

Bus lines to Ospedale Didattico Veterinario Mario Modenato in Pisa

10, Pisa Sesta Porta

20, S.Guido Veterinaria

https://moovitapp.com/index/en/public_transit-Ospedale_Didattico_Veterinario_Mario_Modenato-Firenze-site_271191320-2022

NEARBY HOTELS

 

Hotel Details

Distance to Clinic

Guide Price (pppn)

Hotel Di Stefano

Via S. Apollonia 35-37, 56127 Pisa 

Tel: +39 050 553559 

Website: https://www.hoteldistefano.it/it/ 

Email: info@hoteldistefano.it 

6.4 km

From 100 Euros

Pisa Tower Plaza***

Via Caduti Del Lavoro 46  , 56122 Pisa  

Tel: +39 050 639 0692 

Website: https://www.pisatowerplaza.com/ 

Email: booking@pisatowerplaza.com 

6.8 km

From 85 Euros

Casale La Sterpaia ***

Viale delle Cascine, 56017 Pisa 

Tel:  +39 050 532395 

Website: https://casalelasterpaia.eu/ 

Email: info@casalelasterpaia.eu 

12 km

From 80 Euros

Hotel Villa Rinascimento ***

Via del cimitero di Santa Maria del Giudice, 532 Località Santa Maria del Giudice, 55100 Lucca

Tel: +39 0583 378292 

Website: https://www.villarinascimento.it/ 

Email:  info@villarinascimento.it 

10.9 km

From 105 Euros

Qualified Vet

Lectures & Practical Sessions

USD 1527.77

USD 1290.90

Lectures Only

USD 781.65

USD 651.37

2nd vet, same clinic

Lectures & Practical Sessions

USD 1450.79

USD 1225.77

Lectures Only

USD 740.20

USD 621.77

Intern/Resident/PhD (Requires proof of status)

Lectures Only

USD 390.82

USD 390.82

Veterinary Student (Requires proof of status)

Lectures Only

USD 153.96

USD 130.27

If the options you are looking for are unavailable, please contact us.

No tax will be added unless you are a UK taxpayer

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