Topic:Degenerative Joint Disease
Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) in horses, also known as osteoarthritis, is a progressive condition characterized by the deterioration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone. This condition leads to pain, reduced mobility, and lameness in affected horses. DJD is typically caused by wear and tear on the joints, but it can also result from injury, infection, or developmental disorders. The disease primarily affects older horses, but younger horses can also be susceptible, especially if they have experienced joint trauma or abnormal joint stress. The diagnosis of DJD involves clinical evaluation, imaging techniques such as radiography or ultrasonography, and sometimes joint fluid analysis. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and treatment options for degenerative joint disease in equine patients.
Equine meniscal degeneration is associated with medial femorotibial osteoarthritis. There is limited information available concerning normal equine meniscal morphology, its degeneration and role in osteoarthritis (OA). Objective: To characterise normal equine meniscal morphology and lesions and to explore the relationship between equine meniscal degeneration and femorotibial OA. Methods: Ex vivo cadaveric study. Methods: Menisci were harvested from 7 normal joints (n = 14 menisci) and 15 joints with OA (n = 30 menisci). A macroscopic femorotibial OA score (cartilage degeneration and osteophytosis) was employed to measure disease severity in each compartment. The femoral and t...
Combined use of platelet rich plasma & micro-fat in sport and race horses with degenerative joint disease: preliminary clinical study in eight horses. To assess the safety and potential efficacy of a standardized technique consisting of intra-articular injection of 10 cc of a homogeneous mixed product using autologous micro-fat and platelet rich plasma (PRP) (ratio 1:1) in the carpus or the fetlock joint of sport horses presenting degenerative joint disease (DJD). Methods: Eight sport horses with DJD confirmed by radiography and ultrasonography and causing lameness and the impossibility to compete were treated. PRP was prepared after a double centrifugation whereas micro-fat was harvested and purified using a closed system. The two products ...
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of five bisphosphonates in equine urine and plasma. Bisphosphonates are used in the management of skeletal disorder in humans and horses, with tiludronic acid being the first licensed veterinary medicine in the treatment of lameness associated with degenerative joint disease. Bisphosphonates are prohibited in horseracing according to Article 6 of the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (published by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities). In order to control the use of bisphosphonates in equine sports, an effective method to detect the use of bisphosphonates is required. Bisphosphonates are difficult-to-de...
Suspensory ligament degeneration associated with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses. In older horses, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and suspensory ligament (SL) degeneration are common. The aim of the present study was to identify histopathological changes in the SL in horses with PPID. SLs of four horses with clinical signs of PPID (17-26 years of age) were compared with SLs from four old horses (18-31 years of age) and three young horses (4-9 years of age). In horses with PPID, there was reduced longitudinal arrangement of collagen fibres in SLs, along with inclusions of cartilage, extracellular matrix and haemorrhage, as well as significant proteoglycan accum...
Andrographolide Exerts Chondroprotective Activity in Equine Cartilage Explant and Suppresses Interleukin-1 β -Induced MMP-2 Expression in Equine Chondrocyte Culture. Cartilage erosion in degenerative joint diseases leads to lameness in affected horses. It has been reported that andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata inhibited cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes. This study aimed to explore whether this compound protects equine cartilage degradation in the explant culture model and to determine its effect on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression, a matrix-degrading enzyme, in equine chondrocyte culture. Equine articular cartilage explant culture was induced by 25 ng/mL interleukin-1β, a key inducer of cartilage degeneration, in cultures with...
Allogenic mesenchymal stem cells as a treatment for equine degenerative joint disease: a pilot study. Cell-based therapies, such as treatments with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are thought to have beneficial effects on the clinical outcome of orthopedic injuries, but very few animal studies with large sample size are published so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the safety and report the clinical outcome of allogenic, immature or chondrogenic induced MSCs in combination with PRP for the treatment of degenerative joint disease (DJD) in 165 horses. MSCs and PRP were isolated from a 6-year-old donor horse and transplanted either in their native s...
Effects of steroids on the morphology and proliferation of canine and equine mesenchymal stem cells of adipose origin – in vitro research. Disorders of the locomotive system, especially those occurring due to degenerative changes of the joints, are serious problems in daily veterinary medical practice. Steroid injections are the main way of treating these disorders. However, this approach brings usually only temporary effects of pain relief, and may cause many side effects. Alternative therapies focus on regeneration of damaged tissue using adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Since 2002, the great plasticity and immunomodulatory properties of MSCs isolated from adipose tissue (AdMSCs) have been used successfully in the treatment...
Effects of intrabursal administration of botulinum toxin type B on lameness in horses with degenerative injury to the podotrochlear apparatus. To determine the safety and short-term efficacy of intrabursal administration of botulinum toxin type B (BTXB) to alleviate lameness in horses with degenerative injury to the podotrochlear apparatus (PA). Methods: 10 Quarter Horses with degenerative injury to the PA. Methods: Degenerative injury to the PA was confirmed with diagnostic analgesia and imaging. Then, BTXB (3.8 to 4.5 U/kg) was injected into the podotrochlear (navicular) bursa of each horse. Three horses were used in a safety evaluation. Subsequently, video recordings of lameness evaluations were obtained for 7 client-owned horses ...
Regenerative therapies for equine degenerative joint disease: a preliminary study. Degenerative joint disease (DJD) is a major cause of reduced athletic function and retirement in equine performers. For this reason, regenerative therapies for DJD have gained increasing interest. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from a 6-year-old donor horse. MSCs were either used in their native state or after chondrogenic induction. In an initial study, 20 horses with naturally occurring DJD in the fetlock joint were divided in 4 groups and injected with the following: 1) PRP; 2) MSCs; 3) MSCs and PRP; or 4) chondrogenic induced MSCs and PRP. The ho...
The use of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating horses with spinal ataxia. To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing cervical stenotic myelopathy in horses, 39 horses with spinal ataxia and 20 control horses underwent clinical and neurologic examinations, cervical radiographs, euthanasia, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the cervical spine and necropsy. Twenty-four horses were diagnosed with cervical stenotic myelopathy, 5 with cervical vertebral stenosis, 7 with idiopathic ataxia, 3 horses had other causes of ataxia, and 20 were controls. The MR images were assessed for spinal cord intensity changes, presence of spinal cord compression...
Molecular monitoring of equine joint homeostasis. Diseases affecting synovial joints are a major cause of chronic disability both in humans and in companion animal species, most notably dogs and horses. As progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage is the hallmark of degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, research efforts traditionally tended to focus primarily on cartilage pathology. However, in recent years it has become clear that synovial joints should be considered intricate organs in their own right, with each of the constituent tissues (cartilage, bone, and synovial membrane) interacting with each other both in health ...
Relationship between arthroscopic joint evaluation and the levels of Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO(2), and myeloperoxidase in the blood and synovial fluid of horses affected with osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint. To evaluate the levels of plasmatic and synovial Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO(2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in horses with osteochondral lesions of the tarsocrural joint and to investigate how these levels relate to arthroscopic findings of inflammation and degeneration. Methods: Venous blood and synovial fluid samples were collected from 63 horses presented for arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments in the tarsocrural joint. Prior to removal of the osteochondral fragment, an exploration of the joint was performed and an inflammatory and degenerative score was determined. The blood and synovial ...
Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO2 and myeloperoxidase concentrations in the synovial fluid of equine tarsocrural joints affected with osteochondrosis. The measurement of biomarkers that reflect cartilage breakdown is a powerful tool for investigating joint damage caused by disease or injury. Particularly in cases of osteochondrosis, synovial concentrations of these biomarkers may reveal the presence of osteoarthritic changes. Coll2-1, Coll2-1 NO2 and myeloperoxidase have recently been introduced in equine osteoarticular research but comparison between the concentrations of these markers in OCD affected and healthy joints has not been made. Therefore, this study aimed at reporting the synovial concentrations of these biomarkers in joints affe...
Biochemical identification and immunolocalizaton of aggrecan, ADAMTS5 and inter-alpha-trypsin-inhibitor in equine degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis. We describe analysis of suspensory ligaments from horses with advanced degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) to identify the major proteoglycans (PGs), ADAMTS-aggrecanases and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (IαI) components associated with ligament degeneration. Specific anatomical regions of suspensory ligaments from two normal horses and four diagnosed with DSLD were analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry for the following: aggrecan, aggrecan fragments, decorin, ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5, and IαI components. When compared to normal, DSLD ligaments showed about a 15-fold increas...
Pain in osteoarthritis. This article focuses on pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA). It first describes the basic biology of articular cartilage and other joint structures and the defining features of the osteoarthritic disease process. Subsequently, the possible origins of pain in OA are discussed before embarking on how to manage this clinical entity. The emphasis is on the pharmacologic management of joint pain, and attention is paid to systemic therapeutic strategies as well as to local (intra-articular) treatment modalities. Nonmedical ways of modulating joint pain are briefly mentioned, but not extensively...
Posterior segment diseases. Diseases of the vitreous, fundus and optic nerve are described and illustrated according to their ophthalmological appearance. Vitreal alterations are commonly of developmental, degenerative, age related, traumatic or inflammatory origin and of minor clinical relevance. In contrast, those affecting the fundus, may be accompanied by visual deficits or blindness. Fundic lesions of inflammatory (multifocal or peripapillary chorioretinitis, haemorrhage, retinal detachment) and traumatic origin have to be differentiated from congenital (congenital stationary night blindness, colobomatous defects, r...
Histopathology and computed tomography of age-associated degeneration of the equine temporohyoid joint. The aetiology of temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) is unknown; both primary infectious and degenerative causes have been suggested. Objective: There is a significant association between increasing age and severity of temporohyoid joint degeneration. To examine the histopathology of the temporohyoid articulation in aged horses and to compare the appearance of the joint with computed tomography (CT) and peripheral quantitative CT (pQCT). Methods: pQCT scans of the temporohyoid articulations were obtained bilaterally from 31 horses (range age 1-44 years) post mortem and images were graded by 2 ...
Demographic characteristics of horses donated to the North Carolina State University Equine Health Center, 1996-2008. To determine demographic characteristics of horses donated to the North Carolina State University Equine Health Center (EHC) between 1996 and 2008. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: 122 horses donated to the EHC between January 1996 and December 2008, and 246 horses offered for donation to the EHC between January 2007 and December 2008. Methods: Telephone and medical records were examined. Data were collected in 5 categories: age, sex, breed, reason for donation, and use prior to donation. Results: From January 1996 through December 2008, 122 horses were donated to the EHC (median,...
Cartilage shear dynamics during tibio-femoral articulation: effect of acute joint injury and tribosupplementation on synovial fluid lubrication. To determine the effects of acute injury and tribosupplementation by hyaluronan (HA) on synovial fluid (SF) modulation of cartilage shear during tibio-femoral articulation. Methods: Human osteochondral blocks from the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) and tibial plateau (LTP) were apposed, compressed 13%, and subjected to sliding under video microscopy. Tests were conducted with equine SF from normal joints (NL-SF), SF from acutely injured joints (AI-SF), and AI-SF to which HA was added (AI-SF+HA). Local and overall shear strain (E(xz)) and the lateral displacement (Deltax) at which E(xz) reached ...
Evaluation of inflammatory responses induced via intra-articular injection of interleukin-1 in horses receiving a dietary nutraceutical and assessment of the clinical effects of long-term nutraceutical administration. To evaluate inflammatory responses induced via intra-articular recombinant human interleukin (IL)-1beta treatment in horses receiving a dietary nutraceutical (DN; composed of mussel, shark cartilage, abalone, and Biota orientalis lipid extract) and assess the clinical effects of long-term DN administration. Methods: 22 healthy horses. Methods: 12 horses were fed 0, 15, 45, or 75 mg of DN (3 horses/treatment) daily for 84 days. General health and clinicopathologic variables were monitored at intervals. Ten other horses received 0 or 15 g of DN/d (5 horses/treatment) for 29 days (beginning day -...
Relationship between biochemical markers and radiographic scores in the evaluation of the osteoarticular status of Warmblood stallions. Establishing the osteoarticular status of the horse is often performed by means of radiological screening of the animals. Widespread blood sampling could reveal to be an interesting alternative to this procedure which is time consuming and sometimes technically difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the radiological status of the horses and the levels of biochemical markers of cartilage degradation and synovial inflammation. A specific radiological scoring and classification system was therefore developed and applied on 63 stallions presented for studbook ...
Phospholipid compositions of sera and synovial fluids from dog, human and horse: a comparison by 31P-NMR and MALDI-TOF MS. Alterations of the phospholipid (PL) compositions of body fluids are assumed to be indicative of inflammatory diseases, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, we have shown that particularly the phosphatidylcholine/lysophosphatidylcholine (PC/LPC) ratio determined in human synovial fluids (SF) and sera represents a reliable measure of the inflammatory state in RA patients. However, it is not yet clear to what extent the PC/LPC ratio is also affected by nutrition habits. In the present study, the PL and the corresponding acyl chain compositions of human body fluids (SF and serum of RA patien...
Evaluation of serum osteocalcin and CTX-I in Ardenner horses with special reference to juvenile interphalangeal joint disease. The first aim of this study was to establish a profile of age-related normal serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC) in Ardenner horses. For this first part, blood samples from 49 healthy Ardenner horses were collected. The second aim was to study two biochemical markers of bone metabolism, OC and a carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), in 30 young Ardenner horses during 1 year. Amongst them, 17 showed lesions of juvenile degenerative joint disease in the distal forelimbs. A specific radioimmunoassay for equine OC was used to measure the serum concentration of...
Double blind investigation of the effects of oral supplementation of combined glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL) and chondroitin sulphate (CS) on stride characteristics of veteran horses. Oral chondroprotective supplements are commercially popular for veteran (and other athletic or arthritic) horses prone to joint degeneration, yet lack conclusive scientific support. Objective: To quantify the effects of an oral joint supplement (combination glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL), chondroitin sulphate (CS) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) in vivo on stride parameters of veteran horses. Methods: Twenty veteran horses were randomly assigned to a treatment (n = 15) or placebo group (n = 5). Pre-treatment gait characteristics were recorded at trot using digital video footage (50 Hz). The rang...
Plasma concentrations of a type II collagen-derived peptide and its nitrated form in growing Ardenner sound horses and in horses suffering from juvenile digital degenerative osteoarthropathy. Several breeds of draft horses suffer from degenerative digital osteoarthropathy, resulting in a reduced active lifespan. A group of 30 Ardenner horses was followed, in standardized conditions, from 15 to 28 months of age to detect the early manifestations of the disease. The severity of the disease was assessed according to a personal grading system including clinical and radiographic items. Coll 2-1, a peptide of the helical region of type II collagen, and its nitrated form (Coll 2-1 NO(2)) were assayed in blood plasma collected at 452 +/- 18 days, 504 +/- 20 days, 558 +/- 18 days, 613 +/- 1...
Effect of standing tarsal angle on joint kinematics and kinetics. The tarsal joint is a frequent site of lameness, but little objective information is available regarding the effects of tarsal conformation on joint movements or forces. Objective: To compare tarsal kinematics and kinetics in horses with large, intermediate and small tarsal angles. Methods: Sagittal plane standing angle of the right tarsal joint was measured in 16 horses as they stood squarely with the hind hooves vertically beneath the hip joint. Tarsal angles were classified as small (< 155.5 degrees), intermediate (155.5-165.5 degrees) or large (> 165.5 degrees). Reflective markers, attache...
Plasma concentration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in growing Ardenner horses suffering from juvenile digital degenerative osteoarthropathy. Degenerative osteoarthropathy resulting in a reduced active lifespan was observed in Ardenner horses. In the context of joint biology, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potential candidate to affect the anabolism of cartilage matrix molecules. A group of 30 Ardenner horses reared under standardized conditions from weaning were evaluated periodically from 15 to 28 months of age to detect the early manifestations of the disease. At the end of this period, horses were classified in two pathological groups related to the degree of interphalangeal degenerative osteoarthropathy based on clin...
Proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis using a combination plate-screw technique in 53 horses (1994-2003). A method for proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP joint) arthrodesis that provides a stable fixation and minimal duration of cast support is evaluated retrospectively. Objective: Evaluate the clinical use of a combined plate-screw method for PIP joint arthrodesis in a large number of horses. Methods: The records of 53 horses undergoing PIP joint arthrodesis were reviewed. Arthrodesis was performed with a dorsally placed 3-, 4- or 5-hole narrow dynamic compression plate (DCP) with 2 transarticular cortex screws placed in lag fashion either side of the plate. Subject details, clinical presentatio...