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Topic:Joint Health
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.
Consideration of anatomic and radiographic features of the caudal pouches of the femorotibial joints of horses for the purpose of arthroscopy. Development of an arthroscopic approach to the caudal pouches of the equine stifle has been necessary because cranial approaches do not allow access to articular lesions in the caudal aspect of the joint. Therefore, the anatomy of the caudal region was examined in 52 cadaver limbs by use of gross dissection (29), x-ray-computed tomography (6), fluoroscopy (8), or arthroscopy (9). Additionally, using arthroscopic techniques developed in equine cadaver limbs, 3 stifles from 2 anesthetized horses were arthroscopically explored. Fluoroscopy was used to verify needle placement for joint injection a...
Case report: acute joint destabilization in the equine demonstrating early pathology in osteoarthritis. A case of acute destabilization of the right stifle joint associated with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and avulsion fracture of the tibial spine in a horse is reported. The diagnosis was obtained by scintigraphy and radiography. Post mortem investigations 6 weeks after injury demonstrated fibrillation of surface cartilage in regions unprotected by tibial menisci. No pathological change was demonstrated in the subchondral bone of the tibia in regions associated with loss of cartilage integrity.
Synovial fluid parameters in normal and osteochondritic hocks of horses with open physis. An investigation was carried out on most common synovial fluid parameters of normal and osteochondritic hocks of horses less than 12 months old in order to confirm the presence of an inflammatory process. Furthermore, a spectroscopic study was performed on synovial fluid from both normal and diseased hocks. A depolymerization of hyaluronic acid was demonstrated in synovial fluid from diseases joints, similar to that reported in human rheumatoid arthritis. A one month rest seem to normalize all parameters considered and in one joint, a return to normal infrared spectrum was demonstrated.
Management of orthopedic emergencies. Initial management of injuries includes safely gaining control of the animal and assessing and treating systemic shock. If hemorrhage is life threatening, it must be controlled. If the limb is nonfunctional it should be stabilized. Any open orthopedic injury should be treated by cleaning the tissues, protecting the exposed tissues, and administering systemic antibiotics. A commercial splint is available (Equine Regular Leg Saver Splint, Kimzey Welding Works, Woodland, CA) that can immobilize and relieve weightbearing for cases of phalangeal fracture, flexor tendon rupture, fetlock breakdown, a...
Effects of 0.05% chlorhexidine lavage on the tarsocrural joints of horses. In six horses, a 0.05% solution of chlorhexidine diacetate was used to lavage one tarsocrural joint; the contralateral control joint was lavaged with lactated Ringer's solution. Horses were evaluated daily for lameness. Synovial fluid samples were collected on days 1, 4, and 8 for determination of protein concentration, total and differential leukocyte counts, and mucin clot formation. After death on day 8, synovium and osteochondral samples were collected from the tarsocrural joints for examination of morphology and proteoglycan staining. Lavage with chlorhexidine solution caused lameness tha...
Experimentally-induced synovitis as a model for acute synovitis in the horse. 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...
Comparison of the cranial and a new lateral approach to the femoropatellar joint for aspiration and injection in horses. The genual joint in horses is complex, making synovial fluid aspiration and injection of the femoropatellar joint difficult. Horses commonly have signs of resentment to needle penetration at this site. We compared the safety and efficacy of a new technique, using a lateral approach to the femoropatellar joint, with that of the standard cranial approach in 12 horses. A significantly greater amount of fluid was obtained with the lateral approach (2.0 +/- 0.5 ml, mean +/- SEM) than with the cranial approach (0.9 +/- 0.2 ml). Significant differences were not observed in color, nucleated cell count...
Osteochondral fragmentation of the plantar/palmar proximal aspect of the proximal phalanx in racing horses. The clinical presentation and outcome of treatment is presented for 26 cases of osteochondral fragmentation of the plantar/palmar proximal aspect of the proximal phalanx. Twenty-three were racing Standardbreds and three were racing Thoroughbreds. The most common reason for presentation was an inability to run straight at high speed. Only eight horses presented for lameness, although on examination 19 were lame. A positive flexion test was recorded in 90% of affected fetlock joints and effusion in 48%. Arthroscopic fragment removal was performed on 23 occasions in 21 horses and arthrotomy in on...
Lead foreign body arthropathy in a horse. A diagnosis of degenerative joint disease secondary to an intra-articular metallic foreign body in the right metacarpophalangeal joint was made in a Quarter Horse gelding. Arthroscopy, performed to evaluate the joint and remove the foreign body, revealed yellow discoloration of the articular cartilage and synovium, and blunting and proliferation of the synovium. The foreign body was identified as a lead sphere. Microscopic examination of synovium revealed chronic synovitis, with accumulation of hemosiderin and multifocal, mild mineralization. Another pigment was evident extracellularly in the ...
Effect of betamethasone and exercise on equine carpal joints with osteochondral fragments. Osteochondral fragments were created arthroscopically on the distal aspect of both radial carpal bones in 12 horses. On day 14 after surgery, one middle carpal joint of each horse was injected with 2.5 mL Betavet Soluspan (3.9 mg betamethasone sodium phosphate and 12 mg betamethasone acetate per milliliter) and the contralateral joint was injected with 2.5 mL saline as a control. Intra-articular treatments were repeated on day 35. On day 17, six horses began exercising 5 days per week on a high-speed treadmill. The other six horses were kept in box stalls throughout the study as nonexercised c...
Diagnostic and operative arthroscopy of the coxofemoral joint in horses. Arthroscopic examination of the hip joint was performed in mature and juvenile horses, using a lateral approach and standard or long instruments depending on body weight. Nine hip joints were examined in three cadavers and four anesthetized horses. The lateral, cranial, and caudal regions of the femoral head and acetabulum were accessible, and, after distraction of the limb, the ligament of the head of the femur and the acetabular notch were also visible. In small horses, the medial regions of the hip joint were visible but were inaccessible in larger horses. Iatrogenic injury to the sciatic n...
Crystals in equine articular cartilage. Crystal deposits have been observed in equine articular cartilage and identified by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction as octacalcium phosphate and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate. Of 89 equine fetlock joints examined 10 contained evidence of calcification visible by eye. It is suggested that the deposition of crystals may be a mediator of arthritis in horses and may also cause damage directly.
Arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments from the proximal interphalangeal joint of the pelvic limbs in three horses. Osteochondral fragments detected in the proximal interphalangeal joint in the pelvic limbs of 3 horses (2 Standardbreds and 1 Thoroughbred) caused joint enlargement and lameness. Fragments were removed by use of arthroscopy. Accurate placement of the arthroscope into the dorsal joint space was necessary to obtain an adequate view of the fragments. After surgery, 2 of the horses resumed racing without joint problems, and the third was in training to race. High-detail radiographs are necessary to detect osteochondral fragments in horses with joint enlargement or lameness localized to the proxima...
Morphological effects of arthroscopic partial synovectomy in horses. Gross and microscopic effects of arthroscopic partial synovectomy on synovium and articular cartilage of middle carpal joints were studied in 15 horses. A 7-mm diameter motorized synovial resector was inserted into each middle carpal joint and arthroscopic partial synovectomy and lavage or arthroscopic lavage alone was performed. Study periods were 0 (three horses), 16 (three horses), and 30 days (six horses). No gross evidence of degenerative joint disease was observed at day 16 or 30. At 30 days, resected areas lacked villi and there was deposition of fibrin on the synovial surface with vary...
Concentration and molecular weight distribution of hyaluronate in synovial fluid from clinically normal horses and horses with diseased joints. High molecular weight (MW) hyaluronate (HA) is an integral part of synovial fluid (SF), regulating many important physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms. Many of its effects depend on, or are reflected in, the concentration and MW of HA. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to assess simultaneously the concentration and MW of HA in SF obtained from horses with various arthritides: acute traumatic arthritis; chronic traumatic arthritis, including degenerative joint disease (DJD); and infectious arthritis. The size-exclusion column was calibrated, using appropriate HA concentrati...
Arthroscopic approach and intra-articular anatomy of the plantar pouch of the equine tarsocrural joint. Arthroscopic examination of structures within the plantar pouch of the tarsocrural joint was accomplished via portals in both the plantaromedial and plantarolateral aspects of the joint. Flexion and extension of the tarsus while examining the joint through either portal allowed observation of the proximal and plantar aspects of the lateral and medial trochlear ridges, the trochlear groove, the caudal aspect of the distal tibia, and the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in its sheath. From a plantarolateral portal, the plantar talocalcaneal ligament and the plantar aspect of the lateral malleol...
The relationship between intra-articular and juxta-articular intraosseous pressures in the metatarsophalangeal region of the pony. Eight metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints were studied in anaesthetized young ponies. Pressure measurements were made in the joint and at various sites in the marrow cavity of the third metatarsal bone with simultaneous measurement of systemic arterial and venous blood pressures. Fetlock joint flexion was always associated with a statistically significant initial decrease in intra-articular pressure (p < 0.05) followed by a marked increase in pressure (p < 0.05). Subsequent extension was accompanied by a similar pressure pattern, although there appeared to be a hysteretic relationship. ...
[Basic principles and effects of hippotherapy within the comprehensive treatment of paraplegic patients]. A total of 67 patients, both paraplegic and quadriplegic, had participated in a hippotherapy programme over a study period of almost 18 months, with positive effects found relative to spasticity, certain pain syndromes, as well as contraction syndromes associated with impaired joint mobility. Frequently the only effective measure at all, and moreover of astonishingly lasting effect, the spasticity-reducing treatment turned out especially beneficial. Along with these statistically supported findings, a number of associated effects were noted in the physiotherapy and, especially, the nursing sec...
The molecular weight of therapeutic hyaluronan (sodium hyaluronate): how significant is it? Various molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) preparations have been injected into joints for the treatment of human and equine osteoarthritis. A therapeutic advantage has been claimed for commercial products with a molecular weight in the range found in normal synovial fluid (SF), compared to lower molecular weight products. But a correlation between molecular weight and efficacy is not borne out by an analysis of the available literature on clinical results. SF viscosity, HA concentration, HA molecular weight and rate of synthesis in joint disease. It is proposed that the beneficial effect o...
Cellular sources of proteolytic enzymes in equine joints. Isolated equine blood and articular cells were investigated for proteolytic enzyme production by means of gel filtration and analysis on 14C-acetylated collagen and casein substrates. Significant amounts of collagenase and caseinase activity were produced by cultured synoviocytes stimulated with equine interleukin 1, although large amounts of collagenase also originated from neutrophils.
Proteolytic enzymes in equine joints with infectious arthritis. Significant amounts of collagenase and caseinase activity were detected in infected synovial fluid samples. Partial characterisation of the enzymes by gel filtration suggested that synovial fluid from cases of infectious arthritis may contain enzymes from both the synovial cells and neutrophils. This finding was also supported by analysis of sequential synovial fluid samples from 4 infected joints. In 3 joints the concentration of caseinase and in 1 joint collagenase paralleled the decline in total nucleated cell count. However, in 3 joints the concentration of collagenase remained high after ...
Influence of intra-articular sodium hyaluronate and polysulphated glycosaminoglycans on the biochemical composition of equine articular surface repair tissue. The influence of repeated intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate and polysulphated glycosaminoglycan on the repair of full-thickness osteochondral defects was examined in the midcarpal joints of ponies. The study showed no significant difference between treated and control groups with regard to total collagen content, uronic acid content or the relative proportions of Type I and Type II collagen in the repair tissue, indicating that the drugs did not affect the biochemical composition of the repair tissue 11 weeks after defect induction.
Substance P innervation of equine synovial membranes: joint differences and neural and nonneural receptor localizations. Substance P (SP) immunocytochemistry and receptor autoradiography were used to define the innervation of the equine synovial membrane of joints equivalent to the wrist and knuckle of man. SP-immunoreactive fibers were mainly concentrated around blood vessels in the subsynovial layer, although not exclusively, while in the more distal joint, SP fibers were more frequently seen in the synovial surface layer. Iodinated SP receptor autoradiography studies revealed silver grain concentrations in the advential layer of blood vessels associated with the vasa vasorum, on the vascular endothelium and i...
Clinical use and characteristics of the corticosteroids. Corticosteroids possess potent anti-inflammatory activity and are commonly injected intra-articularly for local relief of inflammatory lesions in performance horses. However, the suppression of anabolic activity in the joint may lead to an increased rate of joint breakdown. Complications associated with intra-articular corticosteroid therapy include septic arthritis, which is usually due to inadvertent joint contamination at the time of corticosteroid injection, and steroid arthropathy, which is characterized by an accelerated rate of joint destruction and radiographic evidence of severe degen...
Effects of exercise and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan on repair of articular cartilage defects in the equine carpus. Our aim was to determine if mild to moderate postoperative exercise and intra-articular polysulfated glycosaminoglycan result in improved repair of large, experimentally induced osteochondral defects in a weight-bearing surface of equine joints. Arthroscopic debridement was used to produce full-thickness defects in a weight-bearing area of the radial carpal bones in 18 ponies. The ponies were randomly assigned to two groups balanced for age: nine animals in the exercise and nine in the no exercise group. Six ponies in each group were medicated weekly for 5 weeks with an intra-articular injecti...
Synovial fluid and clinical changes after arthroscopic partial synovectomy of the equine middle carpal joint. Changes in synovial fluid and clinical variables after arthroscopic partial synovectomy of the middle carpal joint were studied in 12 normal horses. A 7 mm motorized synovial resector was inserted into each middle carpal joint; one middle carpal joint of each horse was randomly selected to have arthroscopic synovectomy (treated) and the opposite joint was lavaged (control). Lameness examinations and synovial fluid analyses were performed before operation and at 8, 14, 21, and 28 days after operation. Lameness variables did not differ between treated and control legs. Middle carpal and carpomet...
Neuropeptidergic innervation of equine synovial joints. Immunocytochemical analysis of equine synovial membranes revealed presence of several neuropeptides, including substance P (SP), neurokinin A, and neuropeptide Y, in nerves of the radiocarpal, middle carpal, and metacarpophalangeal (fetlock) joints. Within the subsynovium, these neuropeptides were located perivascularly, whereas in the fronds, only neuropeptide Y was restricted to the vessels of the synovial membrane. Only SP and neurokinin A were found in the intimal layer. The intimal layer of the metacarpophalangeal joint contained more SP-immunoreactive fibers than were observed in the int...
Forelimb lameness associated with radiographic abnormalities of the cervical vertebrae. Eight horses had forelimb lameness which was considered unrelated to primary forelimb pain, but was associated with radiographic abnormalities of one or more cervical vertebrae. There was no evidence of ataxia or weakness. The degree and character of the forelimb lameness varied between horses. In 4 horses, selective local analgesic techniques were used to rule out lameness associated with pain in the forelimb. In the other 4 horses, radiographic examination of the cervical region was performed on the basis of forelimb lameness seen in conjunction with neck stiffness and/or neck pain. Three ho...
