ULTRASOUND FOR DETECTING OSTEOMYELITIS IN TURKEYS

One thousand turkey legs were examined for osteomyelitis (OM) by ultra sonographic, pathologic, and bacteriologic examinations. OM lesions we re recognized as hyperechoic (brighter white) disruptions in cortical bone in the growth plate region by ultrasound examination. OM was conf irmed histologically in 139 of 1000 legs. OM was detected by ultrasoun d in 109 of 139 OM-positive legs for a sensitivity rate of 78%. OM was not detected by ultrasound in 713 of the 861 OM-negative legs for a s pecificity rate of 83%. Ultrasonography was superior to current use of green liver discoloration for detection of tibial OM in turkeys at pr ocessing. The economic benefit to the turkey industry from the approva l and application of this procedure could be considerable.