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.
Svalastoga E, Nielsen K.The histopathological changes in the synovial membrane of bursa podotrochlearis are described in horses with navicular disease. The changes are compared to the histopathological findings in synovial membrane of arthrotic pastern joints in horses and of arthrotic hips in man. A high degree of concordance is demonstrated and this suggests that navicular disease is an arthrotic disease.
Sønnichsen HV, Kristoffersen J, Falk-Rønne J.Joint mice in the horse is a wellknown condition, but during the last years diagnosed with increasing frequency. Ethiology and prognosis thus become of major interest. 53 cases of mice in the fetlock are examined and divided in 3 groups on the basis of localization and appearance. On one group characterised by a localization in the plantar aspect of the joint and clearly separated from the tuberosites of the first phalanx histological investigations were carried out resulting in the statement that the mice can be the result of osteochondrosis. Surgical intervention in cases with clinical sympt...
Rowley G, Antonas KN, Hilbert BJ.An assay for the determination of hyaluronic acid concentration in equine synovia (synovial fluid) was investigated. The method involved the degradation of hyaluronic acid, using a highly specific microbial enzyme. The unsaturated tetra- and hexasaccharide products were oxidized with periodate and caused to react with thiobarbituric acid for form a chromophore which absorbed in the visible range of the spectrum. The method was precise within acceptable limits for synovia and compared favorably with the widely used carbazole method of Bitter and Muir (Anal Biochem 4:330-334, 1962). The between-...
Trotter GW, McIlwraith CW, Norrdin RW, Turner AS.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...
Wagner AE, McIlwraith CW, Martin GS.Orgotein was injected into the right intercarpal joint of each of 8 horses; the corresponding left joint was left alone (not injected) or was given an injection of normal saline solution. Injection with orgotein caused a transient, marked inflammatory response, evidenced by clinical signs and by increased leukocytes and total protein in the synovia (synovial fluid). Leukocyte numbers and total protein concentration were increased (P less than 0.010) in the orgotein-injected joints within 24 hours. However, saline solution alone also elicited a marked inflammatory response, manifested by increa...
Gunson DE, Kowalczyk DF, Shoop CR, Ramberg CF.Several suspect causes of chronic zinc/cadmium toxicosis in horses near a zinc smelter were investigated following observations of lameness, swollen joints, and unthriftiness, particularly in foals. Two foals born and raised near the smelter were lame and had joint swellings that were attributable to severe generalized osteochondrosis. Zinc and cadmium concentrations were markedly increased in the pancreas, liver, and kidney. The serum of 1 foal, zinc and potassium concentrations were high, whereas calcium and magnesium concentrations were low. Marked nephrocalcinosis and osteoporosis were obs...
McIlwraith CW.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...
Jeffcott LB, Kold SE.A radiographic technique is described for the equine stifle joint with the horse in the standing position or under general anaesthesia. The method with the animal anaesthetised in the dorsal recumbency and the leg extended was preferred because it gave greater flexibility with a better range of views and greatly reduced the safety hazards. In the standing position a useful practical tip for the lateral view was to raise and extent the limb caudally. This provides some flexion and ventral movement of the stifle allowing improved access for the cassette, a more accurate lateral view of the joint...
Tew WP, Hackett RP.Synovial fluids from 72 equine joints were examined for the presence of cartilage debris, and these findings were compared to findings from visual inspection of the articular cartilage surfaces at necropsy. Synovial fluids from 25 joints with visual cartilage damage contained one or more large particles of articular cartilage. Cartilage fragments were not found in synovial fluids from 42 of the 47 apparently normal joints; thus, a correlation may exist between cartilage debris in the synovial fluid and lesions of the articular surfaces.
Nizolek DJ, White KK.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...
Genetzky RM, Schneider EJ, Butler HC, Guffy MM.Arthrodesis of the proximal interphalangeal joint in horses, with 2 screws crisscrossing the joint, was compared with arthrodesis achieved by placement of 3 screws crossing the joint parallel to the long axis of the bone. The comparison was made by means of radiography, gross and histologic examinations, and motion evaluation. Additionally, the fused 1st and 2nd phalanges resulting from each method were subjected to breaking forces. Motion evaluation and direct examination of the fused area demonstrated that either procedure can be used to achieve arthrodesis consistently, and the breaking pro...
Sack WO, Orsini PG.One hundred three equine hocks, obtained from the postmortem room, were used to study the communication and injection of material into the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints. Excluding the hocks with fused central and 3rd tarsal bones, in 8.3% of hocks injected with low (clinical) pressure and in 23.8% injected with high pressure, the distal intertarsal and tarsometatarsal joints communicated by dissection of the material through 2 internal spaces: the tarsal canal and the space between the combined tarsal bones 1 and 2 tarsal bone 3. A "pop" sometimes felt when high pressure was us...
Nyack B, Morgan JP, Pool R, Meagher D.Osteochondrosis of the shoulder joint in the horse was diagnosed radiographically in 54 shoulders of 38 horses. Clinical signs were those of an intermittent lameness characterized as a swinging leg shoulder lameness with pain elicited by extension, flexion or abduction of the limb. Diagnosis of shoulder lameness was supported by blocking the shoulder joint with local anesthetics. Radiographic changes consisted of: (1) alteration in the contour of the humeral head and glenoid cavity, (2) periarticular osteophyte formation, (3) sclerosis of the subchondral bone, and (4) bone cyst formation. The ...
Milde AK.The objective of this study was to establish whether the carpal joints in horses are subject to development of arthrosis to a larger extent than previously assumed. Furthermore, an attempt has been made to clarify whether clinical diagnostical resources presently available are sufficient for accurate evaluation of the status in carpus. The present results show that an analysis of the synovia fluid is of little value in case of chronica arthrosis in carpus. Histilogical examination of the synovia membrane has been of limited value in this cases as it has not been possible to arrive at a definit...
Gingerich DA, Auer JA, Fackelman GE.A single intra-articular injection of 20 or 40 mg of purified hyaluronic acid of rooster comb origin resulted in restoration of normal joint function in horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis. The functional improvement, measured by pressure sensitive force plate techniques, was detectable within one week after treatment and persisted throughout a four week experimental period despite continued use of the joints. The response was dose dependent in that injection of 0 (saline), 5 or 10 mg hyaluronic acid per joint space resulted in no significant change in joint function while dosage...
Ekman L, Nilsson G, Persson L, Lumsden JH.A method of determining the volumes of synovia in certain articular cavities in the horse is described. The method is based on the degree of dilution of human serum albumin labelled with I that is injected into the joint. It is shown that uniform distribution of the injected substance is attained within 20 min post injection. The elimination of the labelled substance was found to follow the pattern of a single exponential function. The following volumes of synovia were determined (mean ± s) : hock, 39.8 ± 2.1 ml; radio-carpal, 12.6 ±1.5 ml; intercarpal, 14.9 ± 0.6 ml; foreleg fetlock joint...
Kroneman J, Goedegebuure SA.The clinical and pathomorfological symptoms of a two month's zinc-overload in a foal are described. After an exposure of about two weeks symptoms of unthriftness and increasing stiffness develope. The stiffness is caused by severe intra-articular damage.
Irwin DH.Thirty seven intra-articular injections, each 2 ml sodium hyaluronate were made into 21 arthritic joints in 15 racing Thoroughbreds and one part-bred polo pony. One joint failed to improve at all, 16 became sound with one injection, 4 became sound with 2 injections, and 11 joints showed various degrees of response. Eleven of 14 horses became sound for flat racing. Discussion relates to the technique of using sodium hyaluronate, some clinical and pathological aspects of traumatic arthritis, joint lubrication and a brief review of some properties of sodium hyaluronate which have a bearing on art...
Contino EK.Joint disease is one of the most common issues effecting sport horses. Because there is no cure for joint disease, treatment goals surround slowing progression of the disease, minimizing pain, increasing function, and optimizing performance. Accomplishing these goals often requires a multimodal approach that combines systemic medications or supplements; intra-articular therapies, such as corticosteroids or biologics; management considerations; and physical therapy exercises.
Gugliandolo E, Barbagallo A, Peritore AF, Cuzzocrea S, Crupi R.Background: Four show jumping horses were evaluated for non-responsive lameness, which caused their withdrawal from show jumping competitions. The clinical evaluation was performed by radiographic examination, flexion tests, diagnostic anesthesia and lameness evaluation using the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) scale. The diagnoses were a case of navicular syndrome, a complicated case of chronic navicular syndrome and arthrosis of the distal interphalangeal joint of the right anterior limb and two cases of distal intertarsal joint arthritis. Nutraceuticals are often an impo...
Dabareiner RM, White NA, Sullins KE.Case records and radiographs of 71 horses with subchondral lucency, without radiographic evidence of fracture, located on the distal radial carpal bone were examined retrospectively. All horses had lameness and/or joint effusion referable to the carpus. Distal radial carpal bone subchondral lucency was found as a solitary lesion or as a lesion concurrent and symmetric to a contralateral distal radial carpal bone chip fracture. The lesion appeared radiographically as a lucency or shadow on the distal dorsal margin of the radial carpal bone and was most evident on the flexed lateromedial and dor...
Nevens AL, Stover SM, Hawkins DA.To quantify the passive contribution of the biceps brachii muscle-tendon unit to the limits of elbow joint extension during shoulder joint flexion in horses. Methods: Normal right forelimb specimens from 6 Thoroughbred cadavers. Methods: Specimens included the scapula, humerus, radius-ulna, biceps brachii muscle-tendon unit, and stabilizers of the shoulder and elbow joints. Specimens were mounted to a rigid board by transfixation pins through the humerus and instrumented for mechanical manipulation of the limb and joint angle and load measurements. Flexion and extension limits of shoulder and ...
Kamm JL, Goodrich LR, Werpy NM, McIlwraith CW.To describe regions of the thoracic and pelvic limb proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints that are arthroscopically accessible and identify soft tissue structures that should be avoided during arthroscope and instrument placement. Methods: Experimental ex vivo descriptive study. Methods: Horses (n = 15). Methods: Cadaver limbs (n = 36) were used for anatomic modeling, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with MRI-compatible needles, computed tomography with contrast arthrography, and arthroscopy of the PIP joint. Two arthroscopic approaches to the dorsal joint pouch were compared. Results: With ar...
Exner G, Engelmann A, Lange K, Wenck B.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...
Orsini JA, Ryan WG, Carithers DS, Boston RC.To generate data on the effects of firocoxib administration to horses with osteoarthritis. Methods: Client-owned horses with signs of lameness and joint pain associated with osteoarthritis. Methods: Firocoxib was administered as an oral paste (0.1 mg/kg, q 24 h) for 14 days. Assessments were performed on day 0 (baseline) and days 7 and 14. Results: 390 of 429 horses from 80 sites in 25 states met the criteria for analysis. Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred were the 2 most commonly represented breeds, comprising half of the study population. Signs of musculoskeletal pain or lameness attributed to ...
Garcia-Seco E, Wilson DA, Cook JL, Kuroki K, Kreeger JM, Keegan KG.To determine normal cartilage stiffness values in different weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing areas of 3 different equine joints, and to evaluate the relationship between cartilage stiffness and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen content. Methods: Compressive stiffness of the articular cartilage was measured in 8 horse cadaver femoropatellar (FP), tarsocrural (TC), and metatarsophalangeal (MT) joints. Gross evaluation, collagen content, GAG content, and histologic appearance were assessed for each measurement location. Methods: Eight equine cadavers (4 intact females, 4 castrated males; ...
Doyle AJ, Stewart AA, Constable PD, Eurell JA, Freeman DE, Griffon DJ.To determine effects of sodium hyaluronate (HA) on corticosteroid-induced cartilage matrix catabolism in equine articular cartilage explants. Methods: 30 articular cartilage explants from fetlock joints of 5 adult horses without joint disease. Methods: Articular cartilage explants were treated with control medium or medium containing methylprednisolone acetate (MPA; 0.05, 0.5, or 5.0 mg/mL), HA (0.1, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/mL), or both. Proteoglycan (PG) synthesis was measured by incorporation of sulfur 35-labeled sodium sulphate into PGs, and PG degradation was measured by release of radiolabeled PGs...
Velloso Alvarez A, Boone LH, Braim AP, Taintor JS, Caldwell F, Wright JC, Wooldridge AA.There are several non-steroidal intra-articular therapeutics (NSIATs) available for use by equine practitioners for the treatment of performance-limiting joint-related pathology. Information is limited on perceived clinical efficacy, recommended treatment protocols, and associated complications. Our objective with this cross-sectional survey was to investigate the current clinical usage of NSIATs by equine practitioners. An electronic cross-sectional convenience survey inquiring about the use of steroidal and NSIATS (platelet-rich plasma, autologous conditioned serum, autologous protein soluti...
Takafuji VA, McIlwraith CW, Howard RD.To evaluate the effects of equine recombinant interleukin-1alpha (rEqIL-1alpha) and recombinant interleukin-1beta (rEqIL-1beta) on proteoglycan metabolism and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis by equine articular chondrocytes in explant culture. Methods: Near full-thickness articular cartilage explants (approx 50 mg) harvested from stifle joints of a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old horse. Methods: Expression constructs containing cDNA sequences encoding EqIL-1alpha and EqIL-1beta were generated, prokaryotically expressed, and the recombinant protein purified. Near full-thickness articular cartilag...
Zayed M, Adair S, Ursini T, Schumacher J, Misk N, Dhar M.Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of joint disease affecting humans and horses, is characterized by the advance and decline of cartilage and loss of function of the affected joint. The progression of OA is steadily accompanied with biochemical events, which interfere with the cytokines and proteolytic enzymes responsible for progress of the disease. Recently, regenerative therapies have been used with an assumption that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess the potential to prevent the advancement of cartilage damage and potentially regenerate the injured tissue with an ultimate goal o...
Peyron JG.Viscosupplementation (restoring the rheological properties of a tissue matrix) by injection of hyaluronan into the joints has been in use for 2 decades, mostly for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, using doses of 20-25 mg of hyaluronan of 500,000 to 2,500,000 M(r), in sequences of 2 to 10 weekly injections. Pain relief appears in a few days, progresses over a few weeks, and often lasts several months. Some data suggest the benefit can last 6 months to one year. Tolerance is universally reported as very good. Those responding to hyaluronan are 65-80%, compared to 30-35% responding to control. Co...
Lacourt M, MacDonald M, Rossier Y, Laverty S.To report the clinical findings, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of equine patients with articular synovial cysts. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Horses (n = 16) with articular synovial cysts. Methods: Horses diagnosed with articular synovial cysts (1988-2009) at 2 veterinary teaching hospitals were studied. Signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic methods and treatment were retrieved and telephone follow-up was obtained. Results: Sixteen horses with articular synovial cysts were identified. Lameness was the reason for referral in most (n = 9) horses. Diagnosis was based ...
Andreassen SM, Berg LC, Nielsen SS, Kristensen AT, Jacobsen S.Studies in humans have shown that haemostatic and inflammatory pathways both play important roles in the pathogenesis of joint disease. The aim of this study was to assess mRNA expression of haemostatic and inflammatory factors in cultured equine fibroblast-like synoviocytes exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), fibrinogen and thrombin. Synovial membranes were collected from metacarpo-phalangeal joints of 6 skeletally mature horses euthanized for non-orthopaedic reasons. Passage 4 fibroblast-like synoviocytes were left non-treated or treated with either 0.1 μg/ml LPS, 5 mg/ml fibrinogen or 5 U...
Sparks HD, Nixon AJ, Boening KJ, Pool RR.To describe the clinical symptoms, treatment, and outcome of meniscal cysts in horses. These structures have not been previously described in the literature as a potential cause of lameness in the horse. Objective: Meniscal cysts are an uncommon condition of the femorotibial joint but can be a significant cause of lameness. Symptoms can be resolved by arthroscopic excision. Methods: Records of horses diagnosed with meniscal cysts and treated by cyst excision and meniscal debridement at 2 surgical practices were reviewed. Clinical outcome was determined by repeat veterinary examination and cont...
Haerdi-Landerer MC, Suter MM, Steiner A, Wittenbrink MM, Pickl A, Gander BA.For the treatment of septic arthritis in large animals, the local application of antibiotics as a slow release system may be an appropriate means to reach high local bioactivity and low systemic side effects and drug residues. In this study, doxycycline microspheres were developed and tested in vitro for their drug-release properties, suitability for intra-articular application and antimicrobial activity. Methods: The development of a slow release system was achieved by microencapsulation of the drug into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres by a novel ultrasonic atomization method. Drug el...
Journal of proteomicsApril 25, 2019
Volume 202 103370 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.04.020
Anderson JR, Smagul A, Simpson D, Clegg PD, Rubio-Martinez LM, Peffers MJ.Articular conditions are common in horses and can result in loss of function, chronic pain and/or inability to work. Common conditions include osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis and synovial sepsis, which can be life-threatening, but despite the high clinical prevalence of these conditions, rapid and specific diagnosis, monitoring and prognostication remains a challenge for practicing veterinarians. Synovial fluid from a range of arthropathies was enriched for low abundance proteins using combinatorial peptide ligand ProteoMiner™ beads and analysed via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrom...
Burba DJ, Collier MA, Debault LE, Walls RC.An in vivo biopsy technique was developed to harvest cylindrical osteochondral core samples (2 mm diameter x 2 mm depth) from the articular surfaces of radial carpal bones in adult horses for use in osteoarthritis drug kinetic studies. A 25 degree arthroscope was introduced into the midcarpal joint through the dorsolateral surface, and a custom-built motorized core drill was introduced through the dorsomedial surface to create the osteochondral core samples. A total of 24 core samples were sequentially harvested in vivo, and 16 at postmortem, from eight horses on four different occasions withi...
Specht TE, Nixon AJ, Colahan PT, Moore BG, Brown MP.Four horses with subchondral cyst-like lesions in the medial radial facet of the distal portion of the radius were examined. Joint effusion and signs of pain from flexion of the antebrachiocarpal joint were not observed, but lameness was observed in 3 of the 4 horses. Regional nerve blocks and intra-articular anesthesia were used to localize the lesions, and conservative treatment resulted in soundness for performance.
Bowker RM, Sonea IM, Vex KB, Caron JP.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...
Gencoglu H, Orhan C, Sahin E, Sahin K.OA is quite common in companion animals, especially in large breed dogs and horses. Collagen, the most abundant protein of mammals, has specific connective tissue types for skin, bones, reticulate, basal lamina, bones, cell surfaces, while type II collagen (UC-II) forms the main structure of cartilage tissue. Even at the smaller dosages, UC-II has also been reported to be more effective than the glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements, which are the supplements most frequently used in the market. In this review, we summarize the effects of UC-II on joint health and function in health a...
Noble P, Collin B, Lecomte-Beckers J, Magnée A, Denoix JM, Serteyn D.This study describes an equine joint friction test using a cartilage-on-cartilage arrangement and investigates the influence of age and load on the frictional response. Osteochondral plugs were extracted from equine shoulder joints (2-5 years, n=12; 10-14 years, n=15), and mounted in a pin-on-disc tribometer. The frictional response was then measured under constant conditions (2N; 20 degrees C; 5 mm/s), and with increasing load (2N, 5N, 10N). In all experiments, the friction coefficient of young cartilage was significantly (P<0.001) smaller than obtained from old cartilage, while the applicati...
Brommer H, Rijkenhuizen AB, Brama PA, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.There are many noninvasive diagnostic methods used for evaluating chronic progressive joint disease, but each has severe limitations in the detection of early articular cartilage damage. Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of arthroscopy as a diagnostic method for the assessment of the severity of cartilage surface damage on the proximal articular margin of the equine first phalanx (P1). Objective: That arthroscopic assessment of the visible cartilage provides 1) a good indication of the integrity of the cartilage surface and 2) a good estimation of the status of the cartilage surface of the e...
Knych HK, Weiner D, Harrison L, McKemie DS.Intra-articular corticosteroids, such as isoflupredone acetate, are commonly used in the treatment of joint inflammation, especially in performance horses. Following administration in a non-inflamed joints blood concentrations of isoflupredone were low and detectable for only a short period of time post-administration compared to synovial fluid concentrations. For some drugs, inflammation can affect pharmacokinetics, therefore, the goal of the current study was to describe the pharmacokinetics of isoflupredone acetate following intra-articular administration using a model of acute synovitis. S...
Cokelaere SM, Groen WMGAC, Plomp SGM, de Grauw JC, van Midwoud PM, Weinans HH, van de Lest CHA, Tryfonidou MA, van Weeren PR, Korthagen NM.There is an increasing interest in controlled release systems for local therapy in the treatment of human and equine joint diseases, aiming for optimal intra-articular concentrations with no systemic side effects. In this study, the intra-articular tolerability and suitability for local and sustained release of tacrolimus (FK506) from monospheres composed of [PDLA-PEG1000]-b-PLLA multiblock copolymers were investigated. Unloaded and tacrolimus-loaded (18.4 mg tacrolimus/joint) monospheres were injected into the joints of six healthy horses, with saline and hyaluronic acid (HA) in the contralat...
Sarin JK, Rieppo L, Brommer H, Afara IO, Saarakkala S, Töyräs J.Conventional arthroscopic evaluation of articular cartilage is subjective and poorly reproducible. Therefore, implementation of quantitative diagnostic techniques, such as near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), is essential. Locations (n = 44) with various cartilage conditions were selected from mature equine fetlock joints (n = 5). These locations and their surroundings were measured with NIRS and OCT (n = 530). As a reference, cartilage proteoglycan (PG) and collagen contents, and collagen network organization were determined using quantitative ...
Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Werpy NM.To assess clinical, biochemical, and histologic effects of polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) or sodium hyaluronan administered intra-articularly in treatment of horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis. Methods: 24 horses. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced arthroscopically in 1 middle carpal joint of all horses. Eight horses received hyaluronan (20 mg) and amikacin (125 mg) intra-articularly on study days 14, 21, and 28. Eight horses received PSGAG (250 mg) and amikacin (125 mg) intra-articularly on study days 14, 21, and 28. Eight control horses received 2 mL of saline (0.9% N...
Spurlock GH.The prognosis for returning horses with open joint injuries to athletic function is most closely related to the duration of the injury prior to treatment. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate therapy should yield a favorable result. Delayed diagnosis or inappropriate therapy that allow the wound to progress to an infected state makes the likelihood of return to athletic function poor. Refractory joint infection can occur despite early diagnosis and prompt appropriate therapy. The development of these infections is undoubtedly increased by tissue loss and gross contamination. Appropriate antibiotic...
Gough MR, Munroe GA, Mayhew G.This paper tests the hypothesis that the local analgesic agent mepivacaine diffuses between adjacent equine synovial structures in the hindlimb and with greater frequency than latex, gelatine dye or contrast media. We report the incidence of diffusion of mepivacaine between the tarsometatarsal, centrodistal and tarsocrural joints, and the 3 synovial compartments of the stifle in 33 fresh equine cadavers. The tarsometatarsal joint and one synovial compartment of the stifle in the left limb and the centrodistal joint and a different synovial compartment of the stifle in the right limbs were inje...
