Topic:Articular Cartilage
Articular cartilage in horses is a specialized connective tissue found at the ends of bones within joints. It provides a smooth, lubricated surface for articulation and facilitates the transmission of loads with a low frictional coefficient. Articular cartilage is primarily composed of chondrocytes, collagen fibers, and proteoglycans, and it lacks blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatics. This avascular nature contributes to its limited capacity for self-repair following injury. The health and integrity of articular cartilage are essential for maintaining joint function and mobility in horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the structure, function, and pathological changes of articular cartilage in equine species, as well as advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cartilage-related disorders.
IL-1ra gene therapy in equine osteoarthritis improves physiological, anatomical, and biological outcomes of joint degeneration. To evaluate the effects of a gene transfer approach to IL-1β inhibition in an equine osteochondral chip fragment model of joint injury using a self-complementary adeno-associated virus with interleukin receptor antagonist transgene cassette (scAAVIL-1ra), as posttraumatic osteoarthritis in horses, similar to people, is a significant clinical problem. Methods: 16 horses were utilized for the study. Methods: All horses had an osteochondral chip fragment induced arthroscopically in one middle carpal joint while the contralateral joint was sham operated. Eight horses received either scAAVIL-1ra o...
Intraarticular treatment with integrin α10β1-selected mesenchymal stem cells affects microRNA expression in experimental post-traumatic osteoarthritis in horses. Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a major cause of lameness in horses, which leads to lost days of training and early retirement. Still, the underlying pathological processes are poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that serve as regulators of many biological processes including OA. Analysis of miRNA expression in diseased joint tissues such as cartilage and synovial membrane may help to elucidate OA pathology. Since integrin α10β1-selected mesenchymal stem cell (integrin α10-MSC) have shown mitigating effect on equine OA we here investigated the effect of integrin α10...
Serial injections of 4% polyacrylamide hydrogel have no detrimental effects in equine joints following clinical, histologic, and synovial biomarker evaluation. Polyacrylamide hydrogel (4% PAHG) is an inert viscoelastic supplement used to manage osteoarthritis in horses. Even with a prolonged clinical effect, horses may be administered multiple doses during their performance career. The effect of the serial 4% PAHG treatments is not known. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the clinical, histologic, and synovial fluid biomarker effects following serial administration of 4% PAHG in normal equine fetlock joints. Methods: 8 healthy horses. Methods: In a blinded, controlled in vivo study, horses received serial intra-articular injections of 4% ...
microRNAs are differentially expressed in equine plasma of horses with osteoarthritis and osteochondritis dissecans versus control horses. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of lameness in horses with no effective disease-modifying treatment and challenging early diagnosis. OA is considered a disease of the joint involving the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, synovial membrane, and ligaments. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disease consisting of focal defects in the osteochondral unit which may progress to OA later in life. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as small non-coding RNAs that regulate a variety of biological processes and have been detected in biological fluids. MiRNAs are currently investiga...
Diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography to identify synovial penetration in horses with traumatic limb wounds. The diagnostic value of plain radiography for diagnosing synovial penetration in limb wounds near synovial structures has not been determined. Objective: To assess diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography to identify synovial penetration in horses with traumatic limb wounds. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Case records of horses presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University (2011-2021) with limb wounds near synovial structures were categorised in groups with and without synovial penetration using results of synovial fluid analysis and surgical findings. Plain ...
Ex Vivo Comparison of the Diagnostic Performance of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Three-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequences in Depicting Normal Articular Cartilage in Equine Stifle Cadavers. The objective of this study was to compare articular cartilage thickness observed in the different 2D and 3D sequences to the cartilage thickness of the equine stifle in cadavers to determine the accuracy of each sequence. The study was conducted as a blinded laboratory study using seven equine stifle specimens. The 2D (T2W TSE) and 3D (3D VIEW T2W HR, T2 3D mFFE, T1W VISTA SPAIR, 3D PDW SPAIR) 3-tesla MRI sequences of each stifle were obtained. Cartilage thickness was measured at 30 locations on MRI and on gross pathology. Thickness measurements were compared using a Bland-Altman plot and pos...
Integrin α10β1-Selected Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduce Pain and Cartilage Degradation and Increase Immunomodulation in an Equine Osteoarthritis Model. Integrin α10β1-selected mesenchymal stem cells (integrin α10-MSCs) have previously shown potential in treating cartilage damage and osteoarthritis (OA) and in animal models . The aim of this study was to further investigate disease-modifying effects of integrin α10-MSCs. Methods: OA was surgically induced in 17 horses. Eighteen days after surgery, horses received 2 × 10 integrin α10-MSCs intra-articularly or were left untreated. Lameness and response to carpal flexion was assessed weekly along with synovial fluid (SF) analysis. On day 52 after treatment, horses were euthanized, and carp...
Botulinum neurotoxin type A does not exert concentration-dependent effects on equine articular cartilage in vitro. To determine whether Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) ameliorates the effects of interleukin 1 (IL-1) on equine articular cartilage, or exerts negative effects on normal equine articular cartilage homeostasis in vitro. Methods: Articular cartilage explants from 6 healthy femoropatellar joints of 3 adult horses. Methods: Explants were allocated to the IL-1 challenged or unchallenged group, then exposed to 1 of 6 concentrations of BoNT-A (0, 1, 10, 50, 100, or 500 pg/mL) for 96 hours. To assess BoNT-A's effects on inflammation, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was measured in media via ELISA. Matrix ...
Diagnostic Performance of Multi-Detector Computed Tomography Arthrography and 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Diagnose Experimentally Created Articular Cartilage Lesions in Equine Cadaver Stifles. The purpose of the study was to determine the diagnostic performance of computed tomographic arthrography (CTA) and 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting artificial cartilage lesions in equine femorotibial and femoropatellar joints. Methods: A total of 79 cartilage defects were created arthroscopically in 15 cadaver stifles from adult horses in eight different locations. In addition, 68 sites served as negative controls. MRI and CTA (80-160 mL iodinated contrast media at 87.5 mg/mL per joint) studies were obtained and evaluated by a radiologist unaware of the lesion distributi...
Composition, architecture and biomechanical properties of articular cartilage in differently loaded areas of the equine stifle. Strategies for articular cartilage repair need to take into account topographical differences in tissue composition and architecture to achieve durable functional outcome. These have not yet been investigated in the equine stifle. Objective: To analyse the biochemical composition and architecture of three differently loaded areas of the equine stifle. We hypothesise that site differences correlate with the biomechanical characteristics of the cartilage. Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Thirty osteochondral plugs per location were harvested from the lateral trochlear ridge (LTR), the distal int...
Subchondral lucencies of the medial femoral condyle in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbred sales horses: Prevalence, progression and associations with racing performance. Subchondral lucencies (SCLs) in the distal aspect of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) of young Thoroughbred horses are a source of controversy on presale radiographs. There is limited scientific evidence regarding the risk of progression and impact on future racing performance. Objective: To (1) identify the prevalence of MFC SCLs on sales repository radiographs in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbreds; (2) identify any association between grade of MFC SCL and future racing performance and (3) monitor changes in MFC SCL grades between yearling and 2-year-old sales. Methods: Prospective cohort ...
Culture Media Supplemented With 10% Equine Serum Provided Chondroprotection in an In Vitro Co-Culture of Cartilage and Synovial Membrane. No studies have evaluated the effect of culture in serum-free media (SF) vs. media supplemented with equine serum (ES) on co-culture of synovial membrane and cartilage tissue explants. The study objective was to evaluate the effects of equine serum supplementation on induced production of inflammatory and catabolic mediators from articular cartilage and synovial explants while in co-culture. Articular cartilage and synovial membrane explants were harvested from femoropatellar joints of five adult horses. Cartilage and synovial explants were harvested from the stifle of five horses, placed in c...
Osteochondral allograft transplantation for treating medial femoral condyle subchondral bone cyst in a 14-year-old standardbred horse: a case report. Allograft arthroplasty is a promising cartilage-resurfacing technique. A 14-year-old horse was diagnosed with a medial femoral condyle subchondral bone cyst. Allografts were harvested from a young donor animal and implanted to fill the cyst cavity. A visual assessment of the surgical site was possible during follow-up arthroscopy. In addition to a desirable gliding surface and a good adaptation of the grafts, fibrillation of the cranial ligament of the medial meniscus was noted and debrided. The recipient horse became sound four months after follow-up surgery with a high level of owner satisfa...
Articular Cartilage Regeneration by Hyaline Chondrocytes: A Case Study in Equine Model and Outcomes. Cartilage injury defects in animals and humans result in the development of osteoarthritis and the progression of joint deterioration. Cell isolation from equine hyaline cartilage and evaluation of their ability to repair equine joint cartilage injuries establish a new experimental protocol for an alternative approach to osteochondral lesions treatment. Chondrocytes (CCs), isolated from the autologous cartilage of the trachea, grown in the laboratory, and subsequently arthroscopically implanted into the lesion site, were used to regenerate a chondral lesion of the carpal joint of a horse. Biop...
3D T1 relaxation time measurements in an equine model of subtle post-traumatic osteoarthritis using MB-SWIFT. The aim of this study is to assess whether articular cartilage changes in an equine model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), induced by surgical creation of standard (blunt) grooves, and very subtle sharp grooves, could be detected with ex vivo T relaxation time mapping utilizing three-dimensional (3D) readout sequence with zero echo time. Grooves were made on the articular surfaces of the middle carpal and radiocarpal joints of nine mature Shetland ponies and osteochondral samples were harvested at 39 weeks after being euthanized under respective ethical permissions. T relaxation times ...
Osmolarity modulates the de-differentiation of horse articular chondrocytes during cell expansion in vitro: implications for tissue engineering in cartilage repair. Due to the importance of joint disease and ostearthritis (OA) in equine athletes, new regenerative treatments to improve articular cartilage repair after damage are gaining relevance. Chondrocyte de-differentiation, an important pathogenetic mechanism in OA, is a limiting factor when differentiated articular chondrocytes are used for cell-based therapies. Current research focuses on the prevention of this de-differentiation and/or on the re-differentiation of chondrocytes by employing different strategies in vitro and in vivo. Articular chondrocytes normally live in a condition of higher osmol...
Characteristic Inflammatory Biomarkers in an Equine Model of Persistent Synovitis Induced By the Intra-Articular Administration of Monoiodoacetic Acid. Persistent synovitis damages the articular cartilage in horses. To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment for synovitis using a model induced by intra-articular administration of monoiodoacetic acid (MIA), it is necessary to identify inflammatory biomarkers characteristic of the MIA model. Synovitis was induced by administering MIA into the unilateral antebrachiocarpal joints of five horses, and saline was injected into the contralateral joints as a control on day 0. Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations and synovial fluid collection were performed on days 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35....
Gene Delivery to Chondrocytes. Delivering genes to chondrocytes offers new possibilities both clinically, for treating conditions that affect cartilage, and in the laboratory, for studying the biology of chondrocytes. Advances in gene therapy have created a number of different viral and non-viral vectors for this purpose. These vectors may be deployed in an ex vivo fashion, where chondrocytes are genetically modified outside the body, or by in vivo delivery where the vector is introduced directly into the body; in the case of articular and meniscal cartilage in vivo delivery is typically by intra-articular injection. Ex viv...
Synovial fluid mitochondrial DNA concentration reflects the degree of cartilage damage after naturally occurring articular injury. To evaluate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release from injured chondrocytes and investigate the utility of synovial fluid mtDNA concentration in early detection of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. We measured mtDNA release using four models of osteoarthritis: in vitro interleukin-1β stimulation of cultured equine chondrocytes, ex vivo mechanical impact of bovine cartilage explants, in vivo mechanical impact of equine articular cartilage, and naturally occurring equine intraarticular fracture. In our in vivo model, one group was treated with an intraarticular injection of the mitoprotective peptide S...
Shapes of cervical articular process joints and association with histological evidence of osteochondrosis in Warmblood foals: A post-mortem study. Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) of articular process joints (APJs) is involved in cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVM). Biomechanical forces, important in development of OCD, depend on joint conformation. Oval and flat APJ surfaces are considered normal. Objective: To identify and grade gross shape variation of cervical and cranial thoracic APJ surfaces and determine association with histological evidence of osteochondrosis. Methods: Case series. Methods: Eight hundred and four cervical and cranial thoracic APJ surfaces of 30 foals were evaluated for shape(s) and grades, and were co...
Salivary biglycan-neo-epitope-BGN262: A novel surrogate biomarker for equine osteoarthritic sub-chondral bone sclerosis and to monitor the effect of short-term training and surface arena. We aimed to delineate a novel soluble Biglycan Neo-epitope-BGN262 in saliva from young reference and osteoarthritic horses in conjunction with the influence of short-term training exercise, riding surface hardness, circadian rhythm, and feeding on its soluble levels. Unassigned: A custom-made inhibition ELISA was used for the quantification of BGN262 in saliva. Cohort 1: A cross-sectional study comprising reference (N = 19) and OA horses (N = 9) with radiographically classified subchondral bone sclerosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluat...
Correlation of Arthroscopic Grading and Optical Coherence Tomography as Markers of Early Repair and Predictors of Later Healing Evident on MRI and Histomorphometric Assessment of Cartilage Defects Implanted with Chondrocytes Overexpressing IGF-I. Injury of articular cartilage is common, and due to the poor intrinsic capabilities of chondrocytes, it can precipitate joint degradation and osteoarthritis (OA). Implantation of autologous chondrocytes into cartilaginous defects has been used to bolster repair. Accurate assessment of the quality of repair tissue remains challenging. This study aimed to investigate the utility of noninvasive imaging modalities, including arthroscopic grading and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for assessment of early cartilage repair (8 weeks), and MRI to determine long-term healing (8 months). Large (15 mm...
Evaluation of a modified subchondroplasty technique in an equine full-thickness cartilage defect model: a pilot study. To perform a pilot study with the intent of assessing the feasibility of a modified subchondroplasty (mSCP) technique in a validated preclinical equine model of full-thickness articular cartilage loss and evaluate the short-term patient response to the injected materials. Methods: 3 adult horses. Methods: Two 15-mm-diameter full-thickness cartilage defects were created on the medial trochlear ridge of each femur. Defects were treated with microfracture and then filled by 1 of 4 techniques: (1) autologous fibrin graft (FG) via subchondral injection of fibrin glue (FG), (2) autologous fibrin gra...
Systematic review and meta-analysis of positive long-term effects after intra-articular administration of orthobiologic therapeutics in horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. Equine veterinarians face challenges in treating horses with osteoarthritic joint pain in routine veterinary practice. All common treatment options aim to reduce the clinical consequences of osteoarthritis (OA) characterized by persistent synovitis and progressive degradation of articular cartilage. A range of joint-associated cell types and extracellular matrices are involved in the not yet entirely understood chronic inflammatory process. Regeneration of articular tissues to re-establish joint hemostasis is the future perspective when fundamental healing of OA is the long-term goal. The use ...
Implication of Cellular Senescence in Osteoarthritis: A Study on Equine Synovial Fluid Mesenchymal Stromal Cells. Osteoarthritis (OA) is described as a chronic degenerative disease characterized by the loss of articular cartilage. Senescence is a natural cellular response to stressors. Beneficial in certain conditions, the accumulation of senescent cells has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many diseases associated with aging. Recently, it has been demonstrated that mesenchymal stem/stromal cells isolated from OA patients contain many senescent cells that inhibit cartilage regeneration. However, the link between cellular senescence in MSCs and OA progression is still debated. In this study, we ai...
Concurrent versus delayed exposure to corticosteroids in equine articular tissues cultured with local anesthetic. To determine the effect of concurrent versus delayed treatment with corticosteroid on equine articular tissues also treated with local anesthetic in vitro in the presence of inflammatory mediators. Methods: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Five geldings, one mare (aged 3-18 years). Methods: From each horse, 24 synovial and 12 osteochondral explants were cultured in a 12-well plate (2 wells/group, 2 synovial and 1 osteochondral explant/well, total 216 explants in the study). Explants were stimulated in culture medium with 10 μg/ml recombinant equine interleukin-1β and 10 μg/ml tumor...
Concentrations of dexmedetomidine and effect on biomarkers of cartilage toxicity following intra-articular administration in horses. The goal of this study was to determine plasma, urine, and synovial fluid concentrations and describe the effects on biomarkers of cartilage toxicity following intra-articular dexmedetomidine administration to horses. Methods: 12 research horses. Methods: Horses received a single intra-articular administration of 1 μg/kg or 5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine or saline. Plasma, urine, and synovial fluid were collected prior to and up to 48 hours postadministration, and concentrations were determined. The effects on CS846 and C2C were determined in synovial fluid at 0, 12, and 24 hours postadministration...
Donor age effects on in vitro chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation performance of equine bone marrow- and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. Bone marrow (BM)- and adipose tissue (AT)-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown potential as cell-based therapies for cartilage and bone injuries and are used increasingly in human and veterinary practice to facilitate the treatment of orthopedic conditions. However, human and rodent studies have documented a sharp decline in chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential with increasing donor age, which may be problematic for the important demographic of older orthopedic patients. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of donor age on the chondrogenic and osteog...
Counts of hyaluronic acid-containing extracellular vesicles decrease in naturally occurring equine osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with inadequately understood pathogenesis leading to pain and functional limitations. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by synovial joint cells can induce both pro- and anti-OA effects. Hyaluronic acid (HA) lubricates the surfaces of articular cartilage and is one of the bioactive molecules transported by EVs. In humans, altered EV counts and composition can be observed in OA synovial fluid (SF), while EV research is in early stages in the horse-a well-recognized OA model. The aim was to characterize SF EVs and their HA cargo in 19 horses...
Ultrasonography of the Metacarpal/Tarsal-Phalangeal Joints in Healthy Racehorses: Normal Appearance, Breed-Related and Age-Related Features. In adult horses, specific ultrasound (US) features and reference values have been reported for the appearance of the joint cartilage and thickness according to the type of joint, such as femoropatellar and tarsocrural. The US appearance of the fetlock has been described in several diseases. The present research evaluates the US features of the metacarpal/tarsal-phalangeal joints in healthy racehorses according to age and breed, since no information is available in the literature. Seventy-one fetlocks in 28 healthy horses (15/28 thoroughbreds and 13/28 standardbreds) were assessed. The horses w...