Joint health in horses involves the study of anatomical structures such as cartilage, synovial fluid, ligaments, and bones that contribute to the function and mobility of equine joints. Research in this area focuses on understanding the physiology of equine joints, the mechanisms of joint disorders, and the effects of wear and tear over time. Common joint issues in horses include osteoarthritis, synovitis, and joint effusion, which can impact performance and quality of life. Diagnostic techniques often involve imaging, synovial fluid analysis, and clinical evaluation to assess joint condition. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, pathology, diagnostics, and therapeutic approaches related to joint health in horses.
Bungărdean D, Pall E, Daradics Z, Popescu M, Tripon MA, Lupșan AF, Crecan CM, Morar IA, Nicolescu A, Bora FD, Marcus I.Musculoskeletal disorders are a major cause of lameness in horses, often necessitating innovative regenerative strategies to restore joint function and improve quality of life. This study investigated the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), ozonized PRP, hyaluronic acid, paracetamol, and polyacrylamide hydrogel (NOLTREX) on the behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from equine synovial fluid. Synovial fluid samples were collected under strict cytological criteria to ensure viability, followed by in vitro expansion and phenotypic characterization of MSCs. Cultures were supplement...
Samol MA, Barrett MF, Frisbie DD.Significant distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) pathology, particularly affecting soft tissue and articular cartilage, is often not identifiable on radiographs but can be accompanied by joint capsule enthesopathy on the middle phalanx (P2), which can be readily identified. Objective: To explore frequency and correlations between DIPJ capsule enthesopathy identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographs and DIPJ articular cartilage abnormalities and other concurrent soft tissue or osseous pathology within the foot found on MRI. Methods: Retrospective descriptive case series. Metho...
Hartl B, Strohmayer C, Vali Y, Lyrakis M, Kneissl SM.Horses with hyoid bone disease may present with clinical symptoms such as exercise intolerance, resistance to ridden work, anorexia, or headshaking. This study aims to describe the computed tomographic (CT) signs and prevalence of hyoid disease and to evaluate their association with other CT changes of the head. Unassigned: In this study, four investigators conducted a retrospective analysis of their findings after reviewing the medical records of 200 horses that had undergone CT scans between 2009 and 2019. A total of 32 parameters were analyzed, and associations were evaluated between those ...
Chaimbeul SF, Rodrigues NNP, Thurston DD, Scoggin KE, Janes J, Jacobs CA, MacLeod JN, Stone AV, Menarim BC.Synovitis resolution is critical for joint homeostasis and prevents the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Treatments like NSAIDs and intra-articular corticosteroids relieve symptoms by blocking pro-inflammatory mediators, but also impair the production of pro-resolving mediators, contributing to the likelihood of chronic synovitis. PPARγ signaling is an essential mechanism of synovitis resolution, which is decreased in OA tissues. To evaluate the potential of PPARγ agonists to promote pro-resolving pathways, equine macrophages cultured in autologous, normal, or inflamed synovial fluid ( = ...
de Chaisemartin C, Vandeweerd JM, Schramme M.Comminuted fractures of the proximal phalanx (CFPP) occur in adult horses. Various treatments have been described. It remains uncertain which is the best therapeutic option. Objective: This study aims to review systematically the existing literature on CFPP in horses, evaluate treatment modalities, synthesise outcomes to assess treatment efficacy and survival rates, and identify knowledge gaps for future research. Methods: Scoping review. Methods: A literature search was conducted using online databases. The bias quality of each article was evaluated. Chi-squared analysis was used to detect di...
Marlin D, Randell O, Mayhew E, Blake R.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of girth design and girth tension; six horses regularly ridden were used. Each horse underwent four experimental sessions in an unbalanced Latin-square design with two girth tensions (8 kg or 16 kg) and two girth designs (straight girth (S) or anatomical girth (A)). Pressure between the saddle and the horse was measured at 100 Hz with a pressure mat (0.5 sensels per cm). Notably, 2D limb kinematics were determined from anatomical markers placed on the fore and hindlimbs. Video was collected at 240 fps. There was no significant effect of girth...
Cormier KV, Fontenot RL, Eddy A, Williams ML, Wills RW, Jumper WI, Mochal-King CA.The objective of the study was to evaluate effects of intra-articular decellularized porcine amnion/chorion suspension (dPACLS) in horses. Methods: Controlled, randomized, prospective study. Methods: A total of 10 adult horses. Methods: One randomly selected radiocarpal joint (RCJ) was injected with a high dose (HD) of 50 mg (n = 5) or low dose (LD) of 5 mg of dPACLS (n = 5). The contralateral RCJ received saline as control. Systemic serum amyloid A (SAA), synovial fluid analysis (including SAA) and subjective lameness evaluation were performed prior to injection (time 0) and 24, 4...
Duggan MJS, Kearney C, Baltrimaite M, Labberté MC, Gibney R, Brama PAJ.The aim of this study was to refine the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced synovitis model in normal carpal joints of Thoroughbred horses by comparing two low LPS doses. A further aim was to investigate the relationship between the induced synovitis and lameness. The study design consisted of two phases using nine horses with a unilateral crossover design and a within-animal saline control. Synoviocentesis was performed at post-injection hour (PIH) 0, 8, 24, 72 and 168, allowing for synovial fluid cytology and biomarker analysis. Objective gait and thermographic analysis were used to objectively...
Dörner C, Lagos N, Oyaneder L, Menarim BC, Ramírez-Toloza G.Osteoarthritis (OA) is an inflammatory joint disease and the leading cause of musculoskeletal disability affecting human and veterinary patients. New therapeutics halting inflammation while preserving joint homeostasis remain a critical need. Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels regulate the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages in the synovium, the central driver of joint homeostasis. Neosaxitoxin (NeoSTX) is a phycotoxin that blocks NaV channels, conferring a unique potential to regulate joint inflammation. This study evaluated the safety of intra-articular administration of NeoSTX in hors...
Giessen EJM, Stas EKL, Grinwis GCM, Veraa S.A 3-month-old Friesian colt presented with severe, progressive distal limb lameness in two limbs. Radiographic and postmortem full-body CT imaging revealed severe articular deforming osteolysis and osteoproliferation at the dorsodistal navicular bone margin and the adjacent distal phalanx proximo-palmar/proximo-plantar margin in two limbs, with the remainder of the distal interphalangeal joint being unaffected. Multiple other joints showed small osteolytic subchondral defects. Postmortem histopathological examination confirmed focal joint disease of both distal interphalangeal joints, without ...
Bosch K, Zsoldos RR, Hartig A, Licka T.The influence of soft tissue structures, including ligaments spanning one or more intervertebral junctions and the nuchal ligament, on motion of the equine cervical joints remains unclear. The present study addressed this using four post-mortem horse specimens extending from head to withers with all ligaments intact. Three-dimensional kinematics was obtained from markers on the head and bone-anchored markers on each cervical and the first thoracic vertebra during rotation, lateral bending, flexion and extension of the whole head, and neck segment. Yaw, pitch, and roll angles in 8 cervical join...
Sanchez-Arjona R, Lopez Cruz C, Hague BA, Jayawickrama J, Kamm JL.To evaluate the outcomes of diode laser-facilitated (DLF) ankylosis using different surgical techniques to treat distal tarsal osteoarthritis (OA) in horses. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 64 client-owned horses with distal tarsal OA treated with DLF ankylosis between 2011 and 2021 in a referral hospital were included. Methods: DLF ankylosis techniques included: intra-articular diode laser (L), diode laser with periarticular drilling (L + D) and diode laser with cuboidal bone fenestration (L + F). Horses requiring a second surgery formed a fourth group (T). Ou...
Khaliji E, Marycz K, Horna M, Morgan JM, Galuppo LD, Vapniarsky N, Cassano JM.To evaluate IA autologous platelet-derived mitochondrial preparation versus vehicle control in a bilateral lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced model of equine synovitis. Unassigned: 2 ng of LPS was injected into bilateral intercarpal joints of 6 horses over 3 months. Autologous mitochondria, isolated with a commercial kit, were injected into one joint, while the contralateral joint received a vehicle control, a within-subject controlled experimental design. Mitochondrial organelle appearance was visualized on transmission electron microscopy. Outcome measures included synovial fluid and whole-blo...
de Souza AF, Pereira CAM, Gialain IO, Meira JBC, Ballester RY, De Zoppa ALDV.This study aimed to compare the stress distribution in proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis with locking compression plate in horses based on the type and method of screw implantation in the proximal hole and partial or total removal of implants after fusion.Finite element analysis.Proximal interphalangeal joint arthrodesis was simulated using a 3-hole, 4.5-mm narrow locking compression plate combined with two 5.5-mm transarticular screws. Models were created according to the type (cortex or locking) and method of implantation (uni- or bicortical) of the screw in the proximal hole of the...
Kooy S, Constant J, Cole R, Boone L.Clinical use of blood-derived intra-articular therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), have increased in equine athletes due to their proposed disease-modifying effects. Need for a shelf-stable, allogeneic PRP product with known composition for standardized treatment exists. The objective of this study was to compare systemic and local effects of a single intra-articular injection of equine leucoreduced allogeneic pooled freeze-dried PRP (alloPRP) to a placebo control (saline) in normal, healthy equine joints. Unassigned: Twelve healthy horses were randomly assigned to either control (sa...
Garcia-Collao MR, Curtiss AL, Hogan PM.To describe the outcomes of arthroscopic debridement of third carpal bone (C3) incomplete slab fractures (ISF) in racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Horses undergoing arthroscopic debridement of ISF of C3. Methods: The medical records of horses surgically treated for ISF of C3 were reviewed. Age, sex, breed, limb, fracture configuration, preoperative radiographs, arthroscopic findings, postoperative intraarticular therapies, and exercise recommendations were recorded. Racing performance was obtained from online databases. Univariable analyses were used to determine associa...
Mathys RA, Schmitz TR, Geyer H, Borel N, Hilbe M, Ohlerth S, Bischofberger AS.This study described, assessed and correlated ultrasonographic, computed tomographic, and histological findings in the sacroiliac joints of adult Warmblood horse cadavers. In total, 25 joints from 15 horses were examined post-mortem using transrectal ultrasonography and helical computed tomography. Findings on computed tomography were graded in the caudal joint third (caudally) and for the entire joint as mild, moderate, or severe. In total, 11 joints from nine horses were evaluated histologically. All joints (100%) showed abnormalities on computed tomography, and 92% (23/25) displayed abnorma...
Beggan CP, Panizzi L, Oliver LJ.To measure microsphere recovery following needle-through-and-through lavage (NTAT) of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joint (fetlock) and digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) compared to endoscopic lavage (EL). Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: Adult equine cadavers immediately following euthanasia (n = 10). Methods: Colored 15 μm microspheres (2 million) were injected into fetlock joints and DFTS. Synovial structures were assigned to NTAT or EL groups. Each lavage was performed using 5 L of 0.9% NaCl, sequentially collecting egress fluid for microsphere quantification. Re...
Berni P, Del Bue M, Conti V, Andreoli V, Ramoni R, Angelone M, Squassino GP, Bari E, Torre ML, Rinaldi M, Dotti S, Rossi R, Yusuf I, Mauri P....Most in vivo studies on MSC-secretome for osteoarthritis (OA) have relied on animal models, using products lacking pharmaceutical quality, not formulated for clinical use, and insufficiently characterized, limiting knowledge of its effectiveness. This study reports veterinary clinical trials on dogs and horses with spontaneous OA: in dogs (26 subjects), the trial is randomized, double-blinded, and controlled; in horses, 5 clinical cases were treated for safety assessment. Treatment consisted of hyaluronic acid with either lyosecretome - a freeze-dried, injectable MSC-secretome obtained through...
Maguire M, Brusie R.To determine the outcome of skeletally mature performance horses with subchondral bone cysts and fissures in the proximal aspect of the first phalanx treated by lag screw compression. Unassigned: Case records of horses that underwent lag screw compression to treat subchondral bone lesions in the proximal aspect of the first phalanx were reviewed. Performance horses > 5 years old with lameness referrable to the fetlock region; radiographic or other advanced imaging evidence of subchondral bone lesions, with no other concurrent cause for lameness; and at least 6 months of follow-up data were inc...
Munoz Moran JA.This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular (IA) injections of a combination of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on joint effusion following arthroscopic removal of OCD in the tarso-crural joint (TCJ) in young Andalusian horses. Methods: Forty Andalusian horses diagnosed with OCD of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia (DIRT) were included in the study. Horses enrolled in this study had persisting synovial effusion after arthroscopic removal of OCD in the TCJ. A subjective semi-quantitative effusion score was adopted in the study to define the ...
Foucaud M, Haegeman L, Kadic D, Vinardell T, Mariën T, Declercq J.To describe a direct arthroscopic approach of the distal pouch of the palmar/plantar recess of the fetlock to facilitate fragment removal, highlighting its advantages over previously described arthroscopic methods for the fetlock. Additionally, to evaluate and present a retrospective case series. Methods: Ex vivo and retrospective clinical study. Methods: A total of 25 fetlocks in 23 horses. Methods: A direct approach to the distal pouch of the palmar/plantar recess of the fetlock was developed on five cadaveric limbs. Arthroscopic anatomy and landmarks were examined. The approach was clinical...
Bonow S, Hernlund E, Eriksson S, Strandberg E, Gelinder Viklund Å.Sweden has a strong tradition of insuring horses for veterinary costs, and orthopedic diagnoses are the most common for insurance claims. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in prevalence and risk of orthopedic diagnoses for Swedish warmblood (SWB) horses classified as jumping (J) or dressage (D) horses. Also, other factors that may influence orthopedic health were investigated, i.e., sex, birth cohort, and participation in young horse tests and competition. The data consisted of 15,619 insured SWB horses born between 2010 and 2020. Horses were classified as J or D horses acco...
Kadic LIM, Liu CC, Leise BS, McCauley CT, Riggs LM.The aim of the study was to determine if a novel arthrodesis technique for the equine metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint using a human non-contact bridging (NCB), polyaxial locking compression plate system has biomechanical and potential clinical advantages versus a traditional 5.5 mm stainless steel locking compression plate (LCP) under biomechanical testing. Methods: An ex vivo biomechanical equine cadaver study. Methods: A total of 11 MCP joints collected from adult Thoroughbred horses euthanized unrelated to musculoskeletal disease. Methods: Each pair of MCP joints were randomly implanted w...
Lab on a chipMay 28, 2025
Volume 25, Issue 11 2795-2796 doi: 10.1039/d5lc90048d
Heidenberger J, Reihs EI, Strauss J, Frauenlob M, Gültekin S, Gerner I, Toegel S, Ertl P, Windhager R, Jenner F, Rothbauer M.Correction for 'The effect of cyclic fluid perfusion on the proinflammatory tissue environment in osteoarthritis using equine joint-on-a-chip models' by Johannes Heidenberger et al., Lab Chip, 2025, 25, 2256-2269, https://doi.org/10.1039/d4lc01078g.
Roth SP, Liso G, Brehm W, Wagner B, Schnabel CL, Troillet A.The anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) in joint-associated disorders are presumably mediated by the biomolecules it contains, such as cytokines and chemokines. ACS is commonly used in equine practice after storage. Data regarding the influence of storage conditions of ACS on cytokine and chemokine concentrations are not available. Unassigned: To evaluate the effect of commonly used storage conditions on selected cytokine and chemokine concentrations in equine ACS. Unassigned: From 10 horse patients with clinically indicated ACS preparation six ACS ...
Rodrigues APDC, Pozzobon R, De Bastiani G, De La Côrte FD, Azevedo MDS.Lameness, which arises from functional or structural changes in the limbs or axial skeleton, causes asymmetry in the movement of the equine head and/or pelvis. This study aimed to investigate the lameness patterns of horses that underwent lameness examination or monitoring during the years 2016 to 2020. This retrospective study used data from the lameness examination, evaluated using an objective assessment with body-mounted wireless inertial sensors. The lameness examination comprised clinical history, static inspection, palpation, gait evaluation (for which the animals were equipped with a w...
Rinnovati R, Spadari A, Malpighi A, Meistro F, Ralletti MV, Marcucci E, Tarasconi MA, Chiatto RL, Tommasa SD.Numerous treatment strategies have been proposed to manage osteoarthritis (OA) in sport horses. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), is used in veterinary medicine for various purposes. Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a CMC hydrogel in reducing clinical lameness in horses with OA affecting joint. The hypothesis was that intra-articular CMC would produce a sustained reduction in lameness compared to a control treatment. Methods: Thirty client-owned horses diagnosed with OA-related lameness in the metacarpophalangeal joint were enrolled. Horses were randomly assigned to two groups...
Pluim M, Frippiat T.Polyacrylamide gel is increasingly used in equine veterinary medicine for osteoarthritis and other joint disorders. This study aimed to document the indications, treatment protocols, rehabilitation plans, outcomes, and satisfaction with intra-articular polyacrylamide gel in horses, as reported by equine veterinarians. An online questionnaire was distributed to practitioners through the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation mailing lists, social media, and direct contact. Of 197 respondents, 160 completed the survey, forming the basis for the descriptiv...
Soroko-Dubrovina M, Zielińska P, Dudek KD, Śniegucka K, Nawrot K.The aim of the present study was to assess the thermal effects of high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area of clinically healthy Thoroughbred racehorses. The study was conducted on 21 clinically healthy Thoroughbreds in regular training. The horses were subjected to thermographic examinations before and immediately after a HILT session to measure changes in the body surface temperature in the TMJ area. The left TMJ was subjected to therapy, while the contralateral joint served as a control. Statistically significant differences in the body surface temperatu...
Nixon AJ, Grol MW, Lang HM, Ruan MZC, Stone A, Begum L, Chen Y, Dawson B, Gannon F, Plutizki S, Lee BHL, Guse K.Gene therapy holds great promise for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) because a single intraarticular injection can lead to long-term expression of therapeutic proteins within the joint. This study was undertaken to investigate the use of a helper-dependent adenovirus (HDAd)-mediated intraarticular gene therapy approach for long-term expression of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) as sustained symptomatic and disease-modifying therapy for OA. In mouse models of OA, efficacy of HDAd-IL-1Ra was evaluated by histologic analysis, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and hot plate ana...
Reesink HL, Watts AE, Mohammed HO, Jay GD, Nixon AJ.The goals of this study were (1) to quantify proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) gene expression; (2) to assess lubricin immunostaining; and (3) to measure synovial fluid lubricin concentrations in clinical and experimental models of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA). Lubricin synovial fluid concentrations and cartilage and synovial membrane PRG4 expression were analyzed in research horses undergoing experimental OA induction (n = 8) and in equine clinical patients with carpal OA (n = 58). Lubricin concentrations were measured using a custom sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and PRG4 expressio...
Brommer H, Brama PA, Laasanen MS, Helminen HJ, van Weeren PR, Jurvelin JS.The concept of functional adapatation of articular cartilage during maturation has emerged from earlier biochemical research. However, articular cartilage has principally a biomechanical function governed by joint loading. Objective: To verify whether the concept of functional adaptation can be confirmed by direct measurement of biomechanical properties of cartilage. Objective: Fetuses have homogeneous (i.e. site-independent) cartilage with regard to biomechanical properties. During growth and development to maturity, the biomechanical characteristics adapt according to functional (loading) de...
de Grauw JC, van de Lest CH, Brama PA, Rambags BP, van Weeren PR.Meloxicam is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in equine practice, but little is known about its in vivo effects on joint inflammation and cartilage turnover. Objective: To study the effects of meloxicam on biomarkers of inflammation, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, and cartilage biomarkers in joints with experimental synovitis. Methods: In a 2-period cross-over study, synovitis was induced at T = 0 h in the L or R intercarpal joint of 6 horses by intraarticular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Horses received once daily meloxicam (0.6 mg/kg bwt per os) ...
Harrison SM, Whitton RC, Kawcak CE, Stover SM, Pandy MG.Storage and utilization of strain energy in the elastic tissues of the distal forelimb of the horse is thought to contribute to the excellent locomotory efficiency of the animal. However, the structures that facilitate elastic energy storage may also be exposed to dangerously high forces, especially at the fastest galloping speeds. In the present study, experimental gait data were combined with a musculoskeletal model of the distal forelimb of the horse to determine muscle and joint contact loading and muscle-tendon work during the stance phase of walking, trotting and galloping. The flexor te...
Vandeweerd JM, Coisnon C, Clegg P, Cambier C, Pierson A, Hontoir F, Saegerman C, Gustin P, Buczinski S.Various treatments of osteoarthritis (OA) have been described, including use of nutraceuticals. Objective: To review systematically the literature about the effects of nutraceuticals on clinical signs of pain or abnormal locomotion in horses, dogs, and cats, and to discuss methodological aspects of trials and systematic reviews. Methods: A systematic search of controlled trials evaluating the impact of nutraceuticals on OA in horses, dogs, and cats was performed, using Medline, CAB Abstracts, and Google Scholar. Scientific evidence was evaluated by means of criteria proposed by the Food and Dr...
Palmer JL, Bertone AL.The use of extremely small dosages of intra-articular E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin can create a model of synovitis that mimics acute synovitis in horses. Dosages of 5000 ng, 25 ng, 0.5 ng, 0.25 ng, 0.17 ng and 0.125 ng per joint were injected into various joints of a total of 6 horses. The dose response of LPS on clinical signs and synovial fluid parameters was evaluated at baseline and 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after LPS injection. Peripheral venous blood analysis was performed at baseline and at 0, 4, and 12 h after LPS injection. Dosages greater than 0.5 ng/joint resulted in clinica...
Mancini IAD, Schmidt S, Brommer H, Pouran B, Schäfer S, Tessmar J, Mensinga A, van Rijen MHP, Groll J, Blunk T, Levato R, Malda J, van Weeren PR.Recent research has been focusing on the generation of living personalized osteochondral constructs for joint repair. Native articular cartilage has a zonal structure, which is not reflected in current constructs and which may be a cause of the frequent failure of these repair attempts. Therefore, we investigated the performance of a composite implant that further reflects the zonal distribution of cellular component both in vitro and in vivo in a long-term equine model. Constructs constituted of a 3D-printed poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) bone anchor from which reinforcing fibers protruded into ...
Delco ML, Goodale M, Talts JF, Pownder SL, Koff MF, Miller AD, Nixon B, Bonassar LJ, Lundgren-Åkerlund E, Fortier LA.Early intervention with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after articular trauma has the potential to limit progression of focal lesions and prevent ongoing cartilage degeneration by modulating the joint environment and/or contributing to repair. Integrin α10β1 is the main collagen type II binding receptor on chondrocytes, and MSCs that are selected for high expression of the α10 subunit have improved chondrogenic potential. The ability of α10β1-selected (integrin α10high) MSCs to protect cartilage after injury has not been investigated. To investigate integrin α10high MSCs to prevent postt...
Jacobsen S, Thomsen MH, Nanni S.To determine serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations in serum and synovial fluid from healthy horses and horses with joint disease and assess the effect of repeated arthrocentesis on SAA concentrations in synovial fluid. Animals-10 healthy horses and 21 horses with various types of joint disease. Methods: Serum and synovial fluid samples were obtained from each horse. In 5 of the 10 healthy horses, arthrocentesis was repeated 9 times. Concentrations of SAA were determined via immunoturbidometry. Results: Serum and synovial fluid SAA concentrations were less than the assay detection limit in healt...
Toutain PL, Cester CC.To determine pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) relationships and dose effects for meloxicam in horses and to propose a suitable dosage for use in clinical studies. Methods: 6 adult horses. Methods: The study was conducted by use of a randomized, Latin-square design. Arthritis was induced in the right carpal joint of each horse by administration of Freund's complete adjuvant. Various dosages of meloxicam (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg, IV) were then administered. Validated endpoints including stride length and overall clinical lameness score (scale of 0 to 20) were used to assess the e...
Block JA, Oegema TR, Sandy JD, Plaas A.Oral glucosamine (GlcN) has been widely studied for its potential therapeutic benefits in alleviating the pain and disability of osteoarthritis (OA). Its popularity has grown despite ongoing controversy regarding its effectiveness vs placebo in clinical trials, and lack of information regarding possible mechanisms of action. Here, we review the state of knowledge concerning the biology of GlcN as it relates to OA, and discuss a framework for future research directions. Methods: An editorial "narrative" review of peer-reviewed publications is organized into four topics (1) Chemistry and pharmac...
Chu CR, Fortier LA, Williams A, Payne KA, McCarrel TM, Bowers ME, Jaramillo D.Microfracture is commonly performed for cartilage repair but usually results in fibrocartilage. Microfracture augmented by autologous bone marrow concentrate (BMC) was previously shown to yield structurally superior cartilage repairs in an equine model compared with microfracture alone. The current study was performed to test the hypothesis that autologous BMC without concomitant microfracture improves cartilage repair compared with microfracture alone. Methods: Autologous sternal bone marrow aspirate (BMA) was concentrated using a commercial system. Cells from BMC were evaluated for chondroge...
Magri C, Schramme M, Febre M, Cauvin E, Labadie F, Saulnier N, François I, Lechartier A, Aebischer D, Moncelet AS, Maddens S.The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the effects of single and repeated intra-articular administration of allogeneic, umbilical cord-derived, neonatal mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in horses with lameness due to osteoarthritis (OA) of a metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ). Twenty-eight horses were included. Horses were divided into two groups. Horses in group MSC1 received an MSC injection at M0 and a placebo injection at M1 (1 month after M0). Horses in group MSC2 received MSC injections at M0 and at M1. Joint injections were performed with a blinded syringe. Clinical assessment w...
McIlwraith CW, Kawcak CE, Frisbie DD, Little CB, Clegg PD, Peffers MJ, Karsdal MA, Ekman S, Laverty S, Slayden RA, Sandell LJ, Lohmander LS, Kraus VB.We report the results of a symposium aimed at identifying validated biomarkers that can be used to complement clinical observations for diagnosis and prognosis of joint injury leading to equine osteoarthritis (OA). Biomarkers might also predict pre-fracture change that could lead to catastrophic bone failure in equine athletes. The workshop was attended by leading scientists in the fields of equine and human musculoskeletal biomarkers to enable cross-disciplinary exchange and improve knowledge in both. Detailed proceedings with strategic planning was written, added to, edited and referenced to...
Boere J, Malda J, van de Lest CHA, van Weeren PR, Wauben MHM.The use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a potential therapy is currently explored for different disease areas. When it comes to the treatment of joint diseases this approach is still in its infancy. As in joint diseases both inflammation and the associated articular tissue destruction are important factors, both the immune-suppressive and the regenerative properties of EVs are potentially advantageous characteristics for future therapy. There is, however, only limited knowledge on the basic features, such as numerical profile and function, of EVs in joint articular tissues in general and th...
Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Norrdin RW, Park RD, James SP.Subchondral bone plays a role in the pathogenesis of osteochondral damage and osteoarthritis in horses and humans. Osteochondral fragmentation and fracture, subchondral bone necrosis and osteoarthritis are common diseases in athletic horses, and subchondral bone is now thought to play an integral role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. There have been numerous research efforts focused on articular cartilage damage and its pathogenesis, yet comparatively little effort focused on subchondral bone pathology or the coordinated disease states of the osteochondral tissues. The purpose of this re...
Laverty S, Sandy JD, Celeste C, Vachon P, Marier JF, Plaas AH.To examine the concentration of glucosamine in the synovial fluid and its pharmacokinetics in serum in a large animal model following dosing with glucosamine HCl at clinically relevant levels. Methods: Eight adult female horses were studied. After an overnight fast, glucosamine HCl (20 mg/kg of body weight) was administered by either nasogastric (NG) intubation or intravenous (IV) injection. Blood samples were collected before dosing and at 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 360, 480, and 720 minutes after dosing. Synovial fluid samples were collected from the radiocarpal joints 48 hours before dos...
Park J, Sutradhar BC, Hong G, Choi SH, Kim G.To compare the chondrotoxicity of bupivacaine, lidocaine, and mepivacaine in equine articular chondrocytes in vitro. Methods: Prospective, experimental study. Methods: Equine articular chondrocytes. Methods: Primary cultured equine chondrocytes were exposed to 0.5% bupivacaine, 2% lidocaine, or 2% mepivacaine for 30 or 60 minutes. After treatment, cell viability was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay in a dose dependent manner. Apoptosis and necrosis of chondrocytes were analyzed with the double stain...
Lacitignola L, Fanizzi FP, Francioso E, Crovace A.Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) has been successfully used in the study of many biological fluids. The data presented here report on the metabolic profiles of normal equine synovial fluids compared with osteoarthritic (OA) fluids. Twenty-five OA synovial fluid samples and eight normal ones were collected from the forelimb fetlock joint in 22 horses, aged between five and 24 years. 1H NMR spectroscopy was carried out with a Bruker Avance DRX 500 equiped with a cryo-magnet working at 11 Tesla, and 'Mestre-C 4.9.9.6' software was used to analyze the spectra. The study assessed the...
Bertuglia A, Pagliara E, Grego E, Ricci A, Brkljaca-Bottegaro N.Joint impact injuries initiate a progressive articular damage finally leading to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Racehorses represent an ideal, naturally available, animal model of the disease. Standardbred racehorses developing traumatic osteoarthritis of the fetlock joint during the first year of their career were enrolled in our study. Age-matched controls were contemporarily included. Biomarker levels of equine osteoarthritis were measured in serum and synovial fluid (SF) at baseline, and repeated yearly over the next 4 years of training (from T1 to T4). The effect of time and disea...
Watson Levings RS, Broome TA, Smith AD, Rice BL, Gibbs EP, Myara DA, Hyddmark EV, Nasri E, Zarezadeh A, Levings PP, Lu Y, White ME, Dacanay EA....Toward the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), the authors have been investigating self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) for intra-articular delivery of therapeutic gene products. As OA frequently affects weight-bearing joints, pharmacokinetic studies of scAAV gene delivery were performed in the joints of the equine forelimb to identify parameters relevant to clinical translation in humans. Using interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) as a secreted therapeutic reporter, scAAV vector plasmids containing codon-optimized cDNA for equine IL-1Ra (eqIL-1Ra) were generated, which produc...
Textor JA, Willits NH, Tablin F.Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products may be useful for treatment of joint disease in horses, but may contain undesirable pro-inflammatory cytokines in addition to growth factors. This study investigated whether autologous PRP increases synovial fluid growth factor and cytokine concentrations when injected into normal equine metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints. Fetlock joints of seven healthy horses received one of four treatments: saline, resting PRP, CaCl2-activated PRP or thrombin-activated PRP. Synovial fluid was sampled prior to injection and at 6, 24, 48 and 96 h p...
Goodrich LR, Choi VW, Carbone BA, McIlwraith CW, Samulski RJ.Cell transplantation for the treatment of joint disease is an important clinical tool. Genetic modification of cells before transplantation has shown enhanced healing. Ex vivo genetic modification of joint tissue cells with various adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes has not been investigated. The transduction efficiencies of self-complementary AAV serotypes (1-6 and 8) were determined in joint tissue containing chondrocytes and synoviocytes isolated from equine models. When comparing scAAV serotypes for efficient transduction ex vivo, in chondrocytes versus synoviocytes, serotypes 6 and 2,...
Menarim BC, Gillis KH, Oliver A, Ngo Y, Werre SR, Barrett SH, Rodgerson DH, Dahlgren LA.Synovitis is a major component of osteoarthritis and is driven primarily by macrophages. Synovial macrophages are crucial for joint homeostasis (M2-like phenotype), but induce inflammation (M1-like) when regulatory functions become overwhelmed. Macrophage phenotypes in synovium from osteoarthritic and healthy joints are poorly characterized; however, comparative knowledge of their phenotypes during health and disease is paramount for developing targeted treatments. This study compared patterns of macrophage activation in healthy and osteoarthritic equine synovium and correlated histology with ...
Ribera T, Monreal L, Armengou L, Ríos J, Prades M.Increased synovial fibrinolytic activity (detected by increases in synovial D-Dimer concentrations) has been observed in different joint diseases in humans and adult horses, presumably in order to minimize fibrin deposition within the joint and thus avoid its detrimental effects. Objective: To investigate fibrinolytic pathway activation in joint sepsis in foals by measuring synovial D-Dimer concentrations. Methods: Eighteen septic foals with septic joints, 9 septic foals without septic joints, 9 systemically healthy foals with septic joint, and 3 controls are included. Methods: Prospective obs...
Nixon AJ, Rickey E, Butler TJ, Scimeca MS, Moran N, Matthews GL.Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) has improved outcome in long-term studies of joint repair in man. However, ACI requires sutured periosteal flaps to secure the cells, which precludes minimally-invasive implantation, and introduces complications with arthrofibrosis and graft hypertrophy. This study evaluated ACI on a collagen type I/III scaffold (matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation; MACI(®)) in critical sized defects in the equine model. Methods: Chondrocytes were isolated from horses, expanded and seeded onto a collagen I/III membrane (ACI-Maix™) and implanted into o...
Watson Levings RS, Smith AD, Broome TA, Rice BL, Gibbs EP, Myara DA, Hyddmark EV, Nasri E, Zarezadeh A, Levings PP, Lu Y, White ME, Dacanay EA....The authors are investigating self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) as a vector for intra-articular gene-delivery of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and its therapeutic capacity in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). To model gene transfer on a scale proportional to the human knee, a frequent site of OA incidence, studies were focused on the joints of the equine forelimb. Using AAV2.5 capsid and equine IL-1Ra as a homologous transgene, a functional ceiling dose of ∼5 × 10 viral genomes was previously identified, which elevated the steady state levels of eqIL-1R...
Penell JC, Egenvall A, Bonnett BN, Olson P, Pringle J.The principal aim of this study was to analyse the incidence of disease due to general and more specific causes among over 100,000 horses covered by complete insurance for veterinary care by a Swedish insurance company during 1997 to 2000. The database was used to calculate the rate of cause-specific morbidity in horses of different ages, sexes and breed groups kept in different regions with different human population densities. The joints were the most commonly affected part of the body, followed by unspecified/whole body, the skin and the digestive system. The most common specific diagnosis ...
