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.
Long-term results and complications of proximal interphalangeal arthrodesis in horses. A retrospective study was made of 21 horses in which proximal interphalangeal arthrodesis had been performed. The right hindlimb was the most often affected (52%). Acute trauma was the most common reason for performing the surgery (62%). Follow-up data were obtained from the owners regarding return to serviceability . When available, follow-up radiographs and clinical examinations were reviewed. Of the 20 horses on which follow-up information was available, 16 were serviceable . Of the horses in which a hindlimb was arthrodesed , 86% were serviceable , whereas 67% of the horses affected in the...
Myelopathy and vitamin E deficiency in six Mongolian wild horses. Degenerative myelopathy was diagnosed in six Mongolian wild horses. Three of the horses had a history of ataxia dating from birth to 3 months of age. The clinical signs were uncoordinated movement of the hindlimbs and an abnormally wide-based gait and stance. The other 3 horses had mild ataxia. There were no gross lesions in the brain, vertebrae, or spinal cord. Histologic examination revealed degeneration of the neural processes in the ventral and lateral funiculi of all 6 horses. Myelin sheaths were dilated and vacuolated, and there were swollen, fragmented, or lysed axons. Neuronal degenera...
Wedge osteotomy as a treatment for angular deformity of the fetlock in horses. Five young horses with fetlock varus deformities of 8 degrees or greater were treated by means of wedge osteotomy of the distal end of the 3rd metacarpal or metatarsal bone. Three patients were admitted to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and 2 to Colorado State University. Their selection as surgical patients was based on the following criteria: (1) an angular limb deformity of 8 degrees or greater, (2) patient older than 120 days, (3) no evidence of lameness, and (4) no evidence of degenerative joint disease. The surgery was successful in all cases.
The diagnosis and treatment of arthritis in horses. In this paper on the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis in horses, both degenerative arthritis and septic arthritis are considered. Diagnosis should be made on the combination of clinical examination together with the use of diagnostic aids such as radiology, intra-articular local anaesthesia and synovial fluid analysis. Intra-articular therapy appears to be the most effective in the treatment of degenerative arthritis. Excellent responses to therapy have been reported with corticosteroids, sodium hyaluronate, orgotein and synovial fluid transfer, where joints showed an absence of degenerati...
Degenerative joint disease with osteochondrosis of the proximal interphalangeal joint in young horses. Degenerative joint disease of the proximal interphalangeal joint was diagnosed in 9 joint of 6 horses. All of the horses were 3 years old or younger and the affected joints were in the hindlimbs. Radiographic evidence of osteochondrosis involving the distal end of the proximal phalanx was apparent in 5 joints. Lameness and local soft tissue swelling were prominent in all cases. In 1 horse euthanatized tissues because of lameness, histologic examination of joint tissues revealed osteochondrosis as well as severe osteoarthritis. Surgical arthrodesis of the affected joint was performed on 2 horse...
Current concepts in equine degenerative joint disease. Current concepts of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of equine degenerative joint disease are presented on the basis of recently acquired experimental and clinical knowledge. A number of concepts of pathogenesis need modification and the rationale of some of the newer treatments requires definition. Synovitis and other soft tissue changes are important components of the pathogenesis in addition to direct trauma to the articular cartilage. Loss of glycosaminoglycans constitutes an important biochemical "lesion" in the articular cartilage, making it weak and susceptible to trauma. Recognit...
Corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid treatments in equine degenerative joint disease. A review. Degenerative arthrosis is perhaps the most common debilitating disease of performance horses. Treatment should be based upon a knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of normal joints and upon an understanding of the processes of degeneration and repair. These topics are briefly reviewed. Although rest is probably, the most beneficial therapy, physical and pharmaceutical treatments are often employed in an effort to speed recovery. The effects and relative benefits of intrasynovial injections of corticosteroids, hyaluronica cid, and Arteparon are considered in detail. Although local corticoste...
Experimentally induced arthritis of the equine carpus: histologic and histochemical changes in the articular cartilage. Arthritis was experimentally induced in the intercarpal joints of a series of mature ponies by the intraarticular injections of 400 microgram of the polyene antibiotic filipin in 1 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide. Twelve consecutive weekly injections were administered and the ponies were euthanatized 4 weeks after the last injection of filipin was made. The ponies were exercised for 1 hour each day throughout the experiment. Articular cartilage specimens from 4 sites in each intercarpal joint were examined histologically and histo-chemically. For the histochemical examination, safranin O-fast green, ...
Diseases of the carpus. Degenerative joint disease is the most frequently diagnosed problem of the carpus. Horses afflicted with this disease should not be injected with corticosteroids, but should be rested for several months. Swimming exercise and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid during this time help to restore the integrity of the involved joints. Chip fractures of the various carpal bones and the distal radius are commonly diagnosed as the cause of the lameness. Not all horses with carpal fractures are candidates for surgery. It is important that the severity of the problem be realized and that the ...
A review of the salient features of osteochondrosis in the horse. There appears to be an increasing incidence of osteochondrosis in young fast-growing horses in Europe and the USA. The disease is thought to be congenital in type and affects endochondral ossification in growing bones. It can be localised to one joint or may be a generalised condition. The clinical manifestations of the disease lead to a secondary chronic degenerative joint disease in adult animals. There is a genetic predisposition to the condition which is associated with rapid growth and excessive high energy feeding. The careful genetic selection of bloodstock and restricted intake in earl...
Equine Allogeneic Chondrogenic Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cells Are an Effective Treatment for Degenerative Joint Disease in Horses. Degenerative joint disease is one of the main causes of equine early retirement from pleasure riding or a performance career. The disease is initially triggered by an abnormal loading of normal cartilage or a normal loading of abnormal cartilage. This primary insult is accompanied with joint inflammation, which leads to further progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage and changes in the surrounding tissues. Therefore, in search for an effective treatment, 75 adult horses with early signs of degenerative fetlock joint disease were enrolled in a randomized, multicenter, double-blinded...