Standing PET scanner in place at Santa Anita imaging center

In an effort to improve equine safety, Santa Anita recently installed a PET scanner at its backstretch hospital that can aid in the diagnosis of pre-existing conditions.

Plans to install the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner were first announced earlier this year shortly after the track canceled racing for three weeks in March to inspect and renovate the main track following a series of equine fatalities in late February and early March.

The PET scan machine can provide an image of the fetlock joint and can be utilized while a horse is standing, avoiding the need for general anesthesia. The track announced in a statement on Friday that a standing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine will be installed in January to further assist diagnosis.

The standing PET scanner was introduced at UC Davis earlier this year. The machine that will be in use at Santa Anita was purchased by the track’s parent company in partnership with the Dolly Green Research Foundation, which benefits equine causes. The Southern California Equine Foundation will administer the PET scan machine and establish fees for usage.

It was not immediately clear when the scanner will be available for horsemen on a regular basis. The machinery is designed to aid owners and trainers in the care of horses at a time when the sport is facing heightened scrutiny on equine safety.

The track already has frequently used nuclear scan technology, which allows a more detailed look at possible stress fractures than conventional x-rays.