Osteochondrosis is a developmental orthopedic disorder affecting the cartilage and bone in horses, typically occurring in young, growing animals. It involves the disruption of normal endochondral ossification, leading to the formation of lesions in the joint cartilage and subchondral bone. These lesions can result in joint pain, lameness, and reduced performance. Osteochondrosis is commonly observed in the stifle, hock, and fetlock joints of horses. Various factors, including genetics, nutrition, growth rate, and mechanical stress, are associated with its development. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of osteochondrosis in equine populations.
Machado TS, Correia da Silva LC, Baccarin RY, Michelacci YM.Alternative methods to evaluate the joint condition in asymptomatic osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) and other joint diseases may be useful. Objective: To investigate possible changes in synovial fluid composition that may lead to joint conditions in asymptomatic OCD, in mature horses. Methods: Animals aged >2 years, of different breeds, with OCD in the intermediate ridge of distal tibia, symptomatic or not, were studied. Synovial fluid samples (10 healthy; 11 asymptomatic OCD; 25 symptomatic OCD) were collected by arthroscopy from 29 horses. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were analysed by a comb...
Weaver MP, Wilant L.A postal survey of the owners of Clydesdale horses in the UK and USA was conducted to obtain information on tarsocrural effusion ('bog spavin') as an indicator of osteochondrosis from 935 horses. Additional information requested included details of how this condition was investigated and treated. The reported tarsocrural effusion incidence was 10 per cent. The majority of respondents believed the condition to be of concern to Clydesdale owners, but only a minority were aware of the implications of tarsocrural effusion, suggesting that owner education would be of benefit.
Corbin LJ, Blott SC, Swinburne JE, Sibbons C, Fox-Clipsham LY, Helwegen M, Parkin TD, Newton JR, Bramlage LR, McIlwraith CW, Bishop SC, Woolliams JA....Osteochondrosis is a developmental orthopaedic disease that occurs in horses, other livestock species, companion animal species, and humans. The principal aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in the Thoroughbred using a genome-wide association study. A secondary objective was to test the effect of previously identified QTL in the current population. Over 300 horses, classified as cases or controls according to clinical findings, were genotyped for the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip. An animal model was first implemented...
Mc Nally TP, Slone DE, Lynch TM, Hughes FE.To validate the safety of a suprapatellar pouch (SPP), approach to the femoropatellar joint (FPJ), and describe use of a laparoscopic cannula to remove debris or loose bodies. Methods: Retrospective case series Methods: Horses (n = 168) with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the FPJ. Methods: Arthroscopy was performed on 245 FPJ with OCD. Two subpatellar portals were created, 1 axial and 1 abaxial to the lateral patellar ligament. Additionally, a SPP egress portal for lavage, was created 2 cm proximal to the most palpable dorsolateral eminence of the patellar base. A 10-mm laparoscopic cannul...
Lykkjen S, Roed KH, Dolvik NI.Developmental orthopaedic diseases (DOD) such as osteochondrosis (OC)/osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), palmar/plantar osteochondral fragments (POF), ununited palmar/plantar eminences (UPE) and dorsoproximal first phalanx fragments are well recognised in the horse. Aetiopathogeneses are controversial and molecular genetic screening of DNA has recently been employed for their elucidation. Precise phenotypic definition and knowledge of breed-specific prevalence and interrelations are essential for the interpretation of following genomic studies in Standardbred trotters. Objective: To assess the p...
Carpenter R, Baxter G.Injuries involving the pastern region are a common source of lameness in many types of performance horses. Knowledge of the common breed- and activity-associated injuries can aid veterinarians in making an accurate diagnosis because injuries of the pastern region are often breed- or use-specific. The differential diagnosis for disorders of the pastern region includes osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, fractures, infection, and soft tissue injuries. In general, soft tissue injuries of the pastern region can be difficult to diagnose, and affected horses have a reasonable chance of returning to the...
Verwilghen DR, Enzerink E, Martens A, Franck T, Balligand M, Henrotin Y, Detilleux J, Serteyn D.To evaluate the levels of plasmatic and synovial Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO(2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in horses with osteochondral lesions of the tarsocrural joint and to investigate how these levels relate to arthroscopic findings of inflammation and degeneration. Methods: Venous blood and synovial fluid samples were collected from 63 horses presented for arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments in the tarsocrural joint. Prior to removal of the osteochondral fragment, an exploration of the joint was performed and an inflammatory and degenerative score was determined. The blood and synovial ...
Teyssèdre S, Dupuis MC, Guérin G, Schibler L, Denoix JM, Elsen JM, Ricard A.A genome-wide association study for osteochondrosis (OC) in French Trotter horses was carried out to detect QTL using genotype data from the Illumina EquineSNP50 BeadChip assay. Analysis data came from 161 sire families of French Trotter horses with 525 progeny and family sizes ranging from 1 to 20. Genotypes were available for progeny (n = 525) and sires with at least 2 progeny (n = 98). Radiographic data were obtained from progeny using at least 10 views to reveal OC. All radiographic findings were described by at least 2 veterinary experts in equine orthopedics, and severity indices (scores...
Verwilghen DR, Martens A, Busschers E, Franck T, Deberg M, Henrotin Y, Vanderheyden L, Serteyn D.The measurement of biomarkers that reflect cartilage breakdown is a powerful tool for investigating joint damage caused by disease or injury. Particularly in cases of osteochondrosis, synovial concentrations of these biomarkers may reveal the presence of osteoarthritic changes. Coll2-1, Coll2-1 NO2 and myeloperoxidase have recently been introduced in equine osteoarticular research but comparison between the concentrations of these markers in OCD affected and healthy joints has not been made. Therefore, this study aimed at reporting the synovial concentrations of these biomarkers in joints affe...
Sparks HD, Nixon AJ, Fortier LA, Mohammed HO.Long-term efficacy of arthroscopic cartilage reattachment for the treatment of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions in the equine femoropatellar joint is unknown. Objective: To evaluate radiographic outcome and long-term performance of horses undergoing OCD reattachment. Objective: Separated OCD cartilage flaps may be reincorporated into the joint surface by reattachment rather than flap removal. Methods: Polydioxanone pins were utilised arthroscopically to reattach OCD lesions in 40 of 44 joints from 27 horses. Cartilage was reattached when it had persisting perimeter continuity, the surfa...
Menendez MI, Clark DJ, Carlton M, Flanigan DC, Jia G, Sammet S, Weisbrode SE, Knopp MV, Bertone AL.To evaluate healing of surgically created large osteochondral defects in a weight-bearing femoral condyle in response to delayed percutaneous direct injection of adenoviral (Ad) vectors containing coding regions for either human bone morphogenetic proteins 2 (BMP-2) or -6. Methods: Four 13mm diameter and 7mm depth circular osteochondral defects were drilled, 1/femoral condyle (n=20 defects in five ponies). At 2 weeks, Ad-BMP-2, Ad-BMP-6, Ad-green fluorescent protein (GFP), or saline was percutaneously injected into the central drill hole of the defect. Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (...
Jönsson L, Dalin G, Egenvall A, Näsholm A, Roepstorff L, Philipsson J.Disturbances in skeletal development, primarily osteochondrosis (OC) and palmar/plantar osseous fragments (POF), have been commonly reported as problems in young horses. However, there are few reports of such findings for epidemiological analyses or breeding purposes. Objective: To evaluate equine hospital data as a possible source of information for genetic evaluations by estimating prevalence and heritability of OC in the stifle, hock and fetlock joints and of POF in the fetlock. Methods: Data on Swedish Warmblood (SWB) horses were obtained from a large equine hospital in south Sweden. Preva...
Voute LC, Henson FM, Platt D, Jeffcott LB.Lesions of the lateral trochlear ridge (LTR) of the distal femur were investigated in four pony or pony cross horses. The animals were all geldings and were six to 15 months of age. Lesions were bilateral in three ponies and unilateral in one. Femoropatellar joint effusion and lameness were present in two ponies; clinical signs were absent in the others. The proximal LTR was affected in all four animals. The radiographic appearance of the lesions was a subchondral defect containing mineralised bodies. Arthroscopic and postmortem examination findings included an osteochondral flap, a fissured o...
Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI.Failure of the cartilage canal blood supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of articular osteochondrosis in horses and other animal species. In a previous study of the developmental pattern of the blood supply in the tarsus of foals, early lesions of osteochondrosis were consistently found in regions where the cartilage canal vessels traversed the chondro-osseous junction. The developmental pattern of blood vessels has also been described in the distal femoral epiphysis; however, the group of foals examined in that study did not have lesions of osteochond...
de Grauw JC, Donabédian M, van de Lest CH, Perona G, Robert C, Lepage O, Martin-Rosset W, van Weeren PR.Although alterations in biomarkers of cartilage turnover in synovial fluid (SF) have been demonstrated in horses with osteochondrosis (OC), there have been few investigations of such alterations in animals <1 year old. In this study tarsocrural SF samples from foals aged 18, 22 and 52 weeks of age were assessed for: (1) 'turnover' biomarkers of type II collagen (CPII and C2C) and proteoglycan (CS846 and glycosaminoglycans [GAG]); (2) matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity; (3) insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1; (4) transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1; (5) prostaglandin (PG) E(2...
Dierks C, Komm K, Lampe V, Distl O.In this study, we refine a quantitative trait locus for equine osteochondrosis (OC) on horse chromosome (ECA) 2 to a genome-wide significant interval at 20.08-30.94 Mb. The marker set contained 27 newly developed microsatellites equidistantly distributed over ECA2 and 44 nucleotide polymorphisms, located in 16 positional candidate genes for OC. Genotyping was performed in 211 Hanoverian horses from 14 paternal half-sib groups. A NCDN-associated SNP and haplotype were significantly associated with OC in fetlock and/or hock joints. This study is a further step towards the identification of genes...
Lykkjen S, Dolvik NI, McCue ME, Rendahl AK, Mickelson JR, Roed KH.Osteochondrosis (OC), a disturbance in the process of endochondral ossification, is by far the most important equine developmental orthopaedic disease and is also common in other domestic animals and humans. The purpose of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) at the intermediate ridge of the distal tibia in Norwegian Standardbred (SB) using the Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay. Radiographic data and blood samples were obtained from 464 SB yearlings. Based on the radiographi...
Nicholson AM, Trumble TN, Merritt KA, Brown MP.To determine the effects of horse age, osteochondral injury, and joint type on a synthesis biomarker and 3 degradative biomarkers of type II collagen in Thoroughbreds. Methods: Healthy rested adult (3- to 12-year-old) Thoroughbreds (n = 19), yearling (1- to 2-year-old) Thoroughbreds (40), and Thoroughbred racehorses (2 to 7 years old) undergoing arthroscopic surgery for removal of osteochondral fragments that resulted from training or racing (41). Methods: Samples of blood and metacarpophalangeal, metatarsophalangeal, or carpal joint synovial fluid (SF) were collected from all horses. Commerci...
Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI.It is presently unknown whether cartilage ischaemia plays any part in the pathogenesis of osteochondral fragmentation within the equine metatarsophalangeal joint, as no detailed studies on microcirculation in the area have been reported. Objective: To describe the developmental pattern of the blood supply to the epiphyseal growth cartilage in the metatarsophalangeal joint of foals. Methods: Eight Standardbred foals were sacrificed between birth and age 7 weeks to undergo a barium perfusion procedure to demonstrate vessels within growth cartilage canals of one hindlimb. The metatarso-phalangeal...
Austbø L, Røed KH, Dolvik NI, Skretting G.The aim of this study was to investigate genes for differential expression in cartilage of foals predisposed to osteochondrosis (OC). Tissue was sampled from the cranial part of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia in the tarso-crural joint. Foals were considered predisposed to OC when parents had OC at the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. RNA was isolated and subjected to arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) followed by fingerprinting to screen for differentially expressed genes. By verification of results from the RAP-PCR fingerprint screening using real-time RT-PCR, we identified t...
Lettry V, Sumie Y, Mitsuda K, Tagami M, Hosoya K, Takagi S, Okumura M.The objective of this study was to investigate the changes in synovial fluid concentration of collagen type II cleavage site (C2C) and procollagen II C-propeptide (CPII), markers of joint cartilage degeneration and synthesis, respectively, in horses with intraarticular fracture or osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), and to examine the relationship between arthroscopic findings and these biomarker levels. Synovial fluid was collected from 36 joints in 18 horses (6 fractures and 12 OCDs). Samples from contralateral normal joints, when available, served as controls (n = 12). Concentrations of C2C an...
Serteyn D, Piquemal D, Vanderheyden L, Lejeune JP, Verwilghen D, Sandersen C.Osteochondrosis (OC) is a developmental disease that affects growing horses and that severely affects their ability to perform. The genetic basis of its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The aim of the study was to analyze the transcript profile of leukocytes from horses affected with OC. Two transcriptome libraries were constructed from leukocytes of OC-affected and non-OC-affected horses using digital gene expression analysis (DGE) and real-time PCR. Statistical analysis allowed selection of 1,008 tags upregulated in the non-OC-affected group and 1,545 tags upregulated in the OC-affected gr...
Kon E, Muttini A, Arcangeli E, Delcogliano M, Filardo G, Nicoli Aldini N, Pressato D, Quarto R, Zaffagnini S, Marcacci M.The present in vivo preliminary experiment is aimed at testing mechanical and biological behaviour of a new nano-structured composite multilayer biomimetic scaffold for the treatment of chondral and osteochondral defects. The three-dimensional biomimetic scaffold (Fin-Ceramica Faenza S.p.A., Faenza-Italy) was obtained by nucleating collagen fibrils with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, in two configurations, bi- and tri-layered, to reproduce, respectively, chondral and osteochondral anatomy. Chondral defects (lateral condyle) and deep osteochondral defects (medial condyle) were made in the distal...
Johnson PJ, Wiedmeyer CE, Messer NT, Ganjam VK.There is growing recognition that obesity is common and represents a significant detriment to the health of companion animals in a manner similar to that by which it is affecting the human population. As is the case for other species, obesity appears to promote insulin resistance in horses and it is through this pathophysiological process that many of the adverse medical consequences of obesity are being characterized. Equine medical conditions that have been described in the context of obesity and insulin resistance differ from those in humans. Chronic human conditions that have been attribut...
Cleary OB, Trumble TN, Merritt KA, Brown MP.To investigate the effects of exercise and osteochondral injury on concentrations of carboxy-terminal telopeptide fragments of type II collagen (CTX-II) in synovial fluid (SF) and serum of Thoroughbred racehorses and to compare findings with radiographic and arthroscopic scores of joint injury severity. Methods: 78 Thoroughbreds with (n = 38) and without (40) osteochondral injury. Methods: Serum and metacarpophalangeal or carpal joint SF samples were collected from noninjured horses before and at the end of 5 to 6 months of race training (pre- and postexercise samples, respectively) and from h...
Brink P, Skydsgaard M, Teige J, Tverdal A, Dolvik NI.To develop a scoring system for histopathologic changes in the synovium of tarsocrural joints (TCJs) of horses with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and to test for association between histopathologic changes and joint effusion or lameness. Methods: 93 horses with OCD of the intermediate ridge of the tibia of 1 or both TCJs (134 joints) and 38 control horses without disease of TCJs (38 joints). Methods: For OCD-affected horses, pretreatment lameness, TCJ effusion, and results of pelvic limb flexion test were scored. Synovial biopsy specimens were obtained from TCJs of OCD-affected horses during...
Bourzac C, Alexander K, Rossier Y, Laverty S.Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions of the femoropatellar (FP) joint are diagnosed routinely by radiography, but lesions located in the trochlear groove or without accompanying subchondral bone changes can be difficult to visualise. Ultrasonography allows evaluation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone in the FPjoint. Objective: To document the radiographic and ultrasonographic appearance of OCD lesions in the equine FP joint, grade ultrasonographic lesions and compare their accuracy in the diagnosis of these lesions. Methods: The medical records of all horses diagnosed with FP OCD ...
Carmona JU, Argüelles D, Deulofeu R, Martínez-Puig D, Prades M.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and biochemical effects of the administration of oral hyaluronan (Hyal-Joint [HJ]) on young horses with osteochondrosis (OC). Our hypotheses were that HJ administration is safe, would decrease the degree of synovial effusion and the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in synovial fluid, and would increase the concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA) in plasma and synovial fluid. Eleven young horses with tarsocrural OC were included in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. Six horses rece...
Brama PA, Firth EC, van Weeren PR, Tuukkanen J, Holopainen J, Helminen HJ, Hyttinen MM.Subchondral bone provides structural support to overlying articular cartilage and plays an important biomechanical role in osteochondral diseases. Mechanical features of bone correlate strongly with bone mineral density, which is directed by the loading conditions to which the tissue is subjected. Objective: To investigate the influence of physical activity levels on subchondral bone mineral density (sBMD) in foals during early development. Methods: Three groups of foals were subjected to different physical activity levels from birth until age 5 months. A proportion of these foals were subject...
Semevolos SA, Strassheim ML, Haupt JL, Nixon AJ.Hypertrophic differentiation and endochondral ossification of growth cartilage are regulated by a complex array of signaling peptides, including parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rP), Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs). This study investigated the expression of Ihh, Patched1 and 2 (Ptc1, Ptc2), Smoothened (Smo), Gli1, and Gli3, in naturally acquired articular osteochondrosis, using an equine model. Cartilage was harvested from osteochondrosis (OC) affected femoropatellar or scapulohumeral joints from immature horses and normal control horses of similar age. Ih...
Al-Hizab F, Clegg PD, Thompson CC, Carter SD.To investigate the relationship between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in the equine joint. Methods: Equine articular cartilage was obtained from normal (N = 8) and osteochondrotic (OCD) (N = 6) femoropatellar joints from horses at necropsy. The activity of gelatinase MMPs was determined in sections of cartilage by in situ gelatin zymography. Results: Gelatinase activity was markedly increased in articular cartilage obtained from OCD samples and was particularly prominent in the deep cartilage zone. Activity was only seen in the pericellular area of...
Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.It was hypothesised that imposition of different exercise levels at a young age would lead to differences in bone density in the third tarsal bone and to difference in the prevalence of pathological lesions that might contribute to the development of bone spavin later in life. Furthermore, based on earlier literature, it was hypothesised that such lesions could be classified as a manifestation of osteochondrosis. Changes in bone density in the third tarsal bone and early pathological changes in the articular cartilage of the distal intertarsal joint were studied in the offspring of sires with ...
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...
Glade MJ, Krook L, Schryver HF, Hintz HF.Epiphyseal and articular cartilages were examined in pony foals treated with intramuscular injections of either 0.5 mg dexamethasone per 100 kg bodyweight daily for 3, 8 or 11 months, or 5.0 mg per 100 kg for 11 months, and in horse foals treated with 5.0 mg per 100 kg for 20 weeks. The proximal femoral growth plates exhibited increased spatial separation between chondrocyte columns, narrowed zones of disorganized columnar and hypertrophic cartilage, abnormal penetration of hypertrophic cartilage by metaphyseal capillaries, retained cartilage in the spongiosa, distal terminal plate formation, ...
Carmona JU, Argüelles D, Deulofeu R, Martínez-Puig D, Prades M.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and biochemical effects of the administration of oral hyaluronan (Hyal-Joint [HJ]) on young horses with osteochondrosis (OC). Our hypotheses were that HJ administration is safe, would decrease the degree of synovial effusion and the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in synovial fluid, and would increase the concentration of hyaluronic acid (HA) in plasma and synovial fluid. Eleven young horses with tarsocrural OC were included in a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial. Six horses rece...
Sandgren B.Radiographic examination of the tarsocrural, metacarpo- or metatarsophalangeal joints was made in 139 Standardbred horses. Most were under three years old with no history of orthopaedic problems. In the tarsocrural joint, osteochondrosis was observed in 25 (18.1 percent) of the horses (n = 138) and 14 (56 percent) of these were affected bilaterally. In the metatarsophalangeal joint, the most frequent radiographic abnormality was single or multiple bony fragments or defects at the plantar proximal end of the proximal phalanx, which was noticed in 40 (28.8 percent) of the horses (n = 139). The l...
Hilla D, Distl O.In this study, the prevalences of osteochondral fragments in the distal (DUI) and proximal interphalangeal joints (PIJ) as well as in the fetlock, hock and stifle joints, of palmar/plantar osteochondral fragments in the fetlock joints (POFs) and of osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in fetlock, hock and stifle joints were estimated in a large sample of Hanoverian Warmblood horses. For this purpose, radiographic findings of 9478 Hanoverian Warmblood horses collected from 2005 to 2011 were analyzed. Overall 31.9% of the horses showed one or more osteochondral fragments in at least one joint. The fe...
Verwilghen DR, Janssens S, Busoni V, Pille F, Johnston C, Serteyn D.Few reports are available on the relationship between developmental orthopaedic diseases (DOD) and future performances in Warmblood horses. Objective: To investigate the relationship between performance and the presence of DOD lesions. Methods: Records of Warmblood stallions for which radiographic and performance data were available were collected. Showjumping performances were expressed as scores derived from the final ranking of horses in each competition. These scores are available in an established performance database. The relationship between radiographic findings and both performance sc...
Zimmermann E, Distl O.Before the genomics era, heritability estimates were performed using pedigree data. Data collection for pedigree analysis is time consuming and holds the risk of incorrect or incomplete data. With the availability of SNP-based arrays, heritability can now be estimated based on genotyping data. We used SNP array and 1.6 million imputed genotype data with different minor allele frequency restrictions to estimate heritabilities for osteochondrosis dissecans in the fetlock, hock and stifle joints of 446 Hanoverian warmblood horses. SNP-based heritabilities were estimated using a genomic restricted...
Bergin BJ, Pierce SW, Bramlage LR, Stromberg A.Hyaluronan (HA) has been used to treat joint disease via intra-articular, i.v. and oral administration. The efficacy of intra-articular and i.v. use has been evaluated but the oral route has yet to be examined. Objective: To determine the effect of oral hyaluronan gel on joint effusion following arthroscopic surgery for osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the tarsocrural joint of yearling Thoroughbreds. Methods: Forty-eight yearlings diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral osteochondritis dessicans (OCD) of the tarsus were arbitrarily chosen prior to arthroscopic surgery. The yearlings were incl...
Carter BG, Bertone AL, Weisbrode SE, Bailey MQ, Andrews JM, Palmer JL.To evaluate joint function and healing of surgically created full-thickness articular cartilage defects in exercised horses after intra-articular administration of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA; 120 mg) and sterile saline solution in the contralateral limb. Methods: Experimental investigation. Methods: 12 healthy, sound, radiographically normal horses with induced full-thickness osteochondral lesions on the medial and lateral trochlear ridges of the tali. Methods: Two 8.4-mm-diameter full-thickness articular cartilage lesions were created in each tarsocrural joint (12 horses [24 tarsocrural ...
McCoy AM, Norton EM, Kemper AM, Beeson SK, Mickelson JR, McCue ME.Osteochondrosis is a common developmental orthopedic disease characterized by a failure of endochondral ossification. Standardbred horses are recognized as being predisposed to tarsal osteochondrosis. Prior heritability estimates for tarsal osteochondrosis in European Standardbreds and related trotting breeds have been based on pedigree data and range from 17-29%. Here, we report on genetic architecture and heritability based on high-density genotyping data in a cohort of North American Standardbreds (n = 479) stringently phenotyped for tarsal osteochondrosis. Whole-genome array genotyping d...
Fugazzola MC, van Weeren PR.Focal cartilaginous and osteochondral lesions can have traumatic or chondropathic degenerative origin. The fibrocartilaginous repair tissue that forms naturally, eventually undergoes fibrillation and degeneration leading to further disruption of joint homeostasis. Both types of lesion will therefore eventually lead to activity-related pain, swelling and decreased mobility and will frequently progress to osteoarthritis. Most attempts at realising cartilage regeneration have so far resulted in cartilage repair (and not regeneration). The aim of this article was to review experimental research on...
Glade MJ, Belling TH.Weanling Thoroughbred horses were fed diets providing 70%, 100%, or 130% of their daily energy and protein requirements for eight months. Biopsy specimens of growth plate cartilage were taken from the distal right radius at this time. Tissues from both overfed and underfed horses exhibited significantly decreased protein, hydroxyproline and hexosamine contents (on a dry tissue weight basis), increased DNA content and decreased LDH activity, compared to tissues taken from the animals fed 100% of their daily requirements. Growth plate thickness was proportional to diet level. The reserve and hyp...
Semevolos SA.This article reviews current knowledge of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) development in horses, including normal cartilage development, early osteochondrosis pathogenesis, and factors that result in healing or advancement to OCD fragments. Discussion includes current theories, detection, and therapeutic options.
Metzger J, Distl O.Orthopedic diseases are a common cause for limited exercise capacity in the horse. They often underlie genetic risk factors, which can affect bone, articular cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and adnexal structures among others. The genetic effects can directly interfere with tissue development and skeletal growth or can trigger degenerative or inflammatory processes. Many of these diseases of the locomotor system like osteochondrosis are complex and can be affected by multifactorial influences. For this reason, it is important for those performing diagnostic procedures to have a comprehensive kn...
Olstad K, Ekman S, Björnsdóttir S, Fjordbakk CT, Hansson K, Sigurdsson SF, Ley CJ.Recently, the central and third tarsal bones of 23 equine fetuses and foals were examined using micro-computed tomography. Radiological changes, including incomplete ossification and focal ossification defects interpreted as osteochondrosis, were detected in 16 of 23 cases. The geometry of the osteochondrosis defects suggested they were the result of vascular failure, but this requires histological confirmation. The study aim was to examine central and third tarsal bones from the 16 cases and to describe the tissues present, cartilage canals, and lesions, including suspected osteochondrosis le...
Agreste FR, Moreira JJ, Fülber J, Bogossian PM, Chaible LM, Silva LCLC, Michelacci YM, Baccarin RYA.The synovial membrane (SM) presents itself with distinctive characteristics during arthroscopic procedures in cases of osteoarthritis (OA) as well as osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in horses. Most of the arthroscopic findings of the SM are limited to a description of a nonspecific inflammation state. In the present study, the macroscopic and histological aspects of the SM in OA and OCD horses were compared to those of healthy horses. The expression of interleukin (IL) in SM was also investigated. Besides, the concentrations of ILs and keratan sulfate (KS) in the synovial fluid (SF), and the m...
Desjardin C, Riviere J, Vaiman A, Morgenthaler C, Diribarne M, Zivy M, Robert C, Le Moyec L, Wimel L, Lepage O, Jacques C, Cribiu E, Schibler L.Osteochondrosis (OC(D)) is a juvenile osteo-articular disorder affecting several mammalian species. In horses, OC(D) is considered as a multifactorial disease and has been described as a focal disruption of endochondral ossification leading to the development of osteoarticular lesions. Nevertheless, OC(D) physiopathology is poorly understood. Affected horses may present joint swelling, stiffness and lameness. Thus, OC(D) is a major concern for the equine industry. Our study was designed as an integrative approach using omics technologies for the identification of constitutive defects in epiphy...
Hoey S, Stokes D, McAllister H, Puggioni A, Skelly C.Osteochondrosis is commonly encountered in young horses, with welfare, performance, and economic effects. Consequently, pre-purchase radiographic screening for osteochondrosis is routinely performed. Ultrasonographic examination of articular cartilage and osteochondrosis lesions are described in the literature with many case series or single case reports published. This systematic review was undertaken to examine the evidence for using ultrasonography in comparison to traditional radiography, arthroscopy or necropsy findings in the detection of osteochondrosis. The systematic review identified...
Trumble TN, Scarbrough AB, Brown MP.To investigate the effects of exercise and osteochondral (OC) injury on type II collagen degradation products (collagenase cleavage neoepitope commercially known as C2C) in synovial fluid (SF) from Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses and to compare these results with radiographic and arthroscopic scores of severity of joint injury. Methods: Metacarpophalangeal/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) and carpal SF was obtained from (1) 20 normal rested horses, (2) the same horses after 5 to 6 months of race training, and (3) 27 horses with OC injury from racing. For group 3, radiographic and arthroscopic scores...
Lemirre T, Santschi E, Girard C, Fogarty U, Chapuis L, Richard H, Beauchamp G, Laverty S.The juvenile equine medial femoral condyle (MFC) is frequently affected with radiographic changes (sclerosis and subchondral lucencies) that arise at a similar site to juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD) in children. There is little information on maturation of the MFC. To describe the normal development of the equine MFC osteochondral unit from birth to 2 years. Unassigned: Micro CT, histology and immunohistochemistry were performed on healthy equine MFCs (n = 29) at sites where lesions occur. Parameters assessed included: cartilage thickness; the epiphyseal growth plate cartilage org...
Wypchło M, Korwin-Kossakowska A, Bereznowski A, Hecold M, Lewczuk D.The aim of this research was to evaluate the polymorphisms of selected genes and to find their potential effect on the occurrence of osteochondrosis in Polish Warmbloods (sport horse breeds). The study was conducted on a group of 198 horses subjected to official performance tests. Investigated joints-fetlock, hock and stifle-were X-rayed twice, once before and again at the end of the tests (first and second examination), and on this basis the degree of disease was evaluated. Based on the results of previous research, 13 candidate genes potentially associated with the occurrence of osteochondro...
Tomizawa N, Nishimura R, Sasaki N, Hayashi Y, Senba H, Hara S, Kadosawa T, Takeuchi A.Morphological differences between cervical vertebrae were statistically analyzed in ataxic foals to clarify abnormal structural factors in the pathogenesis of this problem. At first, multiple regression analysis and cluster analysis were performed with 28 variables in C3-C7 of 39 control foals without lameness. As a result, there were no sex differences in the growth of all cervical vertebral sites, and the most suitable categorization of the age of the foals was 3 clusters of 8 months old or younger, 9-12 months old and 13 months old or older in any sites in the cervical vertebrae. Twenty-eig...
Desjardins MR, Hurtig MB, Palmer NC.The structural integrity of subchondral bone in fresh and frozen osteochondral autografts was investigated at month 3 in 10 horses. Two osteochondral autografts were harvested from the lateral aspect of the lateral trochlear ridge of the left talus in each of 10 anesthetized horses. Grafts were frozen in 7.5% DMSO. After 14 days, the thawed grafts were press-fitted into drill holes in the trochlear ridges of the right stifles. A fresh graft from the right hock was implanted in each left stifle. To control for the effects of surgery, a fresh graft was transferred from the right stifle to the le...
Van Cauter R, Serteyn D, Lejeune JP, Rousset A, Caudron I.Osteochondrosis is a developmental orthopedic disease characterized by a defect of enchondral ossification. This pathological condition develops and evolves during growth and is influenced by various factors, in particular genetic and environmental. However, little research has been conducted on the dynamic of this condition in horses after the age of 12 months. The retrospective study presented here investigates changes in osteochondrosis lesions through two standardized radiographic examinations carried out on young Walloon sport horses after one year of age (mean age at first and second exa...
Bertone AL, Bramlage LR, McIlwraith CW, Malemud CJ.To compare articular cartilage from horses with naturally developing osteochondrosis (OC) with normal articular cartilage and healing cartilage obtained from horses with experimentally induced osteochondral fractures. Methods: 109 specimens of articular cartilage from 78 horses. Methods: Morphologic characteristics, proteoglycan (PG), and type II collagen were analyzed in articular cartilage of OC specimens (group 1), matched healing cartilage obtained 40 days after experimentally induced osteochondral fractures (group 2), and matched normal cartilage from the same sites (group 3). Results: 79...
Verwilghen DR, Vanderheyden L, Franck T, Busoni V, Enzerink E, Gangl M, Lejeune JP, van Galen G, Grulke S, Serteyn D.Developmental osteochondral lesions are often encountered in the equine population and are a major cause of lameness. Different growth factors that act systemically as well as locally regulate the growth of cartilage. Among them is Insulin-like Growth Factor I that has been demonstrated to promote chondrocyte growth and differentiation and that has been shown to influence cartilage repair. The aims of this study were to investigate differences in circulating plasma levels of Insulin-like Growth Factor-I in post-pubescent horses affected with developmental osteochondral lesions compared to unaf...
