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.
Ahmed YA, Tatarczuch L, Pagel CN, Davies HM, Mirams M, Mackie EJ.Equine osteochondrosis results from a failure of endochondral ossification during skeletal growth. Endochondral ossification involves chondrocyte proliferation, hypertrophy and death. Until recently no culture system was available to study these processes in equine chondrocytes. Objective: To optimise an in vitro model in which equine chondrocytes can be induced to undergo hypertrophy and physiological death as seen in vivo. Methods: Chondrocytes isolated from fetal or older (neonatal, growing and mature) horses were cultured as pellets in 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) or 10% horse serum (HS). Th...
Vervuert I, Winkelsett S, Christmann L, Bruns E, Hoppen HO, Distl O, Hertsch B, Coenen M.To determine whether plasma concentrations of bone turnover markers in growing Hanoverian foals are influenced by age, housing conditions, or osteochondrosis. Methods: 165 healthy foals and 119 foals with osteochondrosis. Methods: Foals were allocated according to birth date and housing management into groups of early-born (born before March 31, 2001; n = 154 foals, 88 of which were healthy and 66 of which had osteochondrosis) and late-born (born after March 31, 2001; 130 foals, 77 of which were healthy and 53 of which had osteochondrosis) foals. Plasma osteocalcin and carboxyterminal propepti...
Drum MG, Kawcak CE, Norrdin RW, Park RD, McIlwraith CW, Les CM.Comparison of subchondral bone density determined by quantitative computed tomography (CT) with gross and histopathologic changes have not been made in horses. The goal of this study was to determine if mean quantitative CT density and mean voxel standard deviation are associated with the presence and severity of osteochondral lesions in the palmar aspect of the distal third metacarpal bone in racing horses. Metacarpophalangeal joints from nine racehorses were imaged using CT and scored for gross damage. Four-millimeter-thick sagittal and 30 degrees palmar dorsal plane sections were cut, decal...
Dierks C, Löhring K, Lampe V, Wittwer C, Drögemüller C, Distl O.A genome-wide scan was performed to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in horses. The marker set comprised 260 microsatellites. We collected data from 211 Hanoverian warmblood horses consisting of 14 paternal half-sib families. Traits used were OC (fetlock and/or hock joints affected), OCD (fetlock and/or hock joints affected), fetlock OC, fetlock OCD, hock OC, and hock OCD. The first genome scan included 172 microsatellite markers. In a second step 88 additional markers were chosen to refine putative QTLs found in the first scan....
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.Heritabilities were estimated for osteochondrosis (OC) in fetlock and hock joints and palmar/plantar osseous fragments in fetlock joints of South German Coldblood (SGC) horses using Residual Maximum Likelihood (REML) under a linear animal model. The analyses were based on the results of a standardized radiographic examination of 167 SGC horses with a mean age of 14 months. The heritabilities linearly estimated and transformed onto the liability scale were for OC in fetlock joints 0.16 and for OC in hock joints 0.04. Considering fetlock and hock OC together, results in a heritability of 0.17. P...
Easton KL, Kawcak CE.To quantitatively evaluate contact area under 2 loads and subjectively compare contact areas with subchondral bone (SCB) density patterns in intact metacarpophalangeal joints of horses. Methods: 6 forelimbs from horses without musculoskeletal disease. Methods: Computed tomographic scans of intact metacarpophalangeal joints were analyzed to obtain SCB density measurements. Each limb was loaded on a materials testing system to 150 degrees and 120 degrees extension in the metacarpophalangeal joint, and the joint was stained via intra-articular injection with safranin-O or toluidine blue, respecti...
Strand E, Braathen LC, Hellsten MC, Huse-Olsen L, Bjornsdottir S.The Icelandic horse is a pristine breed of horse which has a pure gene pool established more than a thousand years ago, and is approximately the same size as living and extinct wild breeds of horses. This study was performed to compare the length of the skeletal growth period of the "primitive" Icelandic horse relative to that reported for large horse breeds developed over the recent centuries. This information would provide practical guidance to owners and veterinarians as to when the skeleton is mature enough to commence training, and would be potentially interesting to those scientists inve...
Ytrehus B, Carlson CS, Ekman S.Osteochondrosis is a common and clinically important joint disorder that occurs in human beings and in multiple animal species, most commonly pigs, horses, and dogs. This disorder is defined as a focal disturbance of enchondral ossification and is regarded as having a multifactorial etiology, with no single factor accounting for all aspects of the disease. The most commonly cited etiologic factors are heredity, rapid growth, anatomic conformation, trauma, and dietary imbalances; however, only heredity and anatomic conformation are well supported by the scientific literature. The way in which t...
Wittwer C, Löhring K, Drögemüller C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for osteochondrosis (OC) and palmar/plantar osseous fragments (POF) in fetlock joints in a whole-genome scan of 219 South German Coldblood horses. Symptoms of OC and POF were checked by radiography in 117 South German Coldblood horses at a mean age of 17 months. The radiographic examination comprised the fetlock and hock joints of all limbs. The genome scan included 157 polymorphic microsatellite markers. All microsatellite markers were equally spaced over the 31 autosomes and the X chromosome, with an average distance of 17.7...
Fjordbakk CT, Strand E, Milde AK, Ihler CF, Rorvik AM.To determine clinical and diagnostic imaging findings in young horses with osteochondral fragments involving the dorsomedial aspect of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained through telephone conversations with owners or trainers or by examining race records. Results: Horses were between 1 and 4 years old. Three had bilateral osteochondral fragments in the forelimbs (n = 2 horses) or hind limbs (1). Radiographically, all but 1 fragment seemed to originate from th...
Vijarnsorn M, Riley CB, Ryan DA, Rose PL, Shaw RA.To determine the feasibility of the use of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy within the midinfrared range to differentiate synovial fluid samples of joints with osteochondrosis from those of control samples. Methods: 33 horses with osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint and 31 horses free of tarsocrural joint disease. Methods: FTIR spectroscopy of synovial fluid was used. Sixty-four synovial fluid samples from the tarsocrural joint were collected. Of these, 33 samples were from horses with radiographic evidence of osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint and 31 from control join...
Mele M, Gerber V, Straub R, Gaillard C, Jallon L, Burger D.The objective of this study was to investigate clinical signs indicating diseases with known or suspected hereditary components like equine sarcoid, insect bite hypersensitivity, osteochondrosis, allergic airway diseases, podotrochleosis, prognatism and wind-sucking in the franches-montagnes horse. We performed a clinical examination on 702 three-year-old, privately owned franches-montagnes horses, which were shown at the Swiss-Field-Tests in 2004. With the help of the owners a questionnaire on health, environment and feeding habits of the animals was completed. In 11.9% of the horses, sarcoid...
Studer S, Gerber V, Straub R, Brehm W, Gaillard C, Lüth A, Burger D.The objective of this study was to investigate clinical signs indicating hereditary diseases like equine sarcoid, osteochondrosis (OC) and the idiopathic laryngeal hemiplegia (ILH), and to demonstrate relationships between environment, feeding habits and conformation ("exterieur" evaluation) of the horses. For this purpose, we analyzed veterinary examinations of 403 stallions at the approvals since 1994 examined 493 three-year-old Swiss Warmblood horses, which were shown at the Swiss-Field-Tests in 2005. With the help of the owners a questionnaire on health, environment and feeding habits of t...
Olstad K, Ytrehus B, Ekman S, Carlson CS, Dolvik NI.Material available for research into osteochondrosis (OC) in humans tends to represent chronic lesions. Comparative studies of early lesions in young animals are, therefore, important in clarifying the pathogenesis of OC in humans. Recent studies in pigs provide strong evidence that lesions of articular OC are associated with a focal failure in the cartilage canal vascular supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage (articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex excluding the articular cartilage). The purpose of the present study was to examine histological sections from a specific predilection site for ar...
Norrdin RW, Stover SM.Mechanical overload leads to a common arthrosis in the metacarpal condyle of the fetlock joint of racehorses. This is usually asymptomatic but severe forms can cause lameness. Subchondral bone failure is often present and the predictability of the site provided an opportunity to study of the progression of bone failure from microcracks to actual collapse of subchondral bone. Twenty-five fetlock condyles from racehorses with various stages of disease were selected. Stages ranged from mild through severe subchondral bone sclerosis, to the collapse of bone and indentation or loss of cartilage kno...
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.This study aimed to quantify the factors associated with the prevalence of the radiological signs of osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in South German Coldblood (SGC) horses. The prevalence of OC and OCD in fetlock and hock joints was analysed in 167 young coldblood horses with a mean age of 14 months. The presence of at least one osteochondrotic lesion (OC) in fetlock or hock joints was documented for 61.7% of the horses and 26.9% of the horses had osseus fragments. Osteochondrotic findings at the dorsal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bo...
Boneker C, Kuiper H, Drögemüller C, Chowdhary BP, Distl O.The mammalian collagen, type IX, alpha 2 gene (COL9A2) encodes the alpha-2 chain of type IX collagen and is located on horse chromosome 2p16-->p14 harbouring a quantitative trait locus for osteochondrosis. We isolated a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing the equine COL9A2 gene and determined the complete genomic sequence of this gene. Cloning and characterization of equine COL9A2 revealed that the equine gene consists of 32 exons spanning approximately 15 kb. The COL9A2 transcript encodes a single protein of 688 amino acids. Thirty two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)...
Dierks C, Mömke S, Drögemüller C, Leeb T, Chowdhary BP, Distl O.In this study, we present a comprehensive 5000-rad radiation hybrid map of a 40-cM region on equine chromosome 4 (ECA4) that contains quantitative trait loci for equine osteochondrosis. We mapped 29 gene-associated sequence tagged site markers using primers designed from equine expressed sequence tags or BAC clones in the ECA4q12-q22 region. Three blocks of conserved synteny, showing two chromosomal breakpoints, were identified in the segment of ECA4q12-q22. Markers from other segments of HSA7q mapped to ECA13p and ECA4p, and a region of HSA7p was homologous to ECA13p. Therefore, we have impro...
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...
de Grauw JC, Brama PA, Wiemer P, Brommer H, van de Lest CH, van Weeren PR.To assess whether reported alterations in metabolism of cartilage matrix in young (0 to 24 months old) horses with osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) may also be found in older (24 to 48 months old) horses with clinical signs of OCD and to investigate the role of eicosanoids in initiating these clinical signs. Methods: Synovial fluid was collected from 38 tarsocrural joints of 24 warmblood horses with (22 joints of 16 horses) or without (16 joints of 8 horses) clinical signs and a radiographic diagnosis of OCD of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. Methods: Turnover of type II collagen wa...
Gangl M, Serteyn D, Lejeune JP, Schneider N, Grulke S, Peters F, Vila T, Deby-Dupont G, Deberg M, Henrotin Y.Markers of cartilage breakdown enable studying the degradation of cartilage matrix in equine joint pathologies. This study was designed to determine the levels of Coll2-1, a peptide of the triple helix of type II collagen, and Coll2-1NO(2), its nitrated form in the plasma of healthy horses (controls; n=37) and horses suffering from osteochondrosis (n=34). Clinical and arthroscopic scores were attributed reflecting the severity of lesions and were related to the plasma levels of Coll2-1 and Coll2-1NO(2). The median of Coll2-1 was significantly higher in the control group, whereas the mean of Co...
Getman LM, Southwood LL, Richardson DW.To evaluate records of racehorses with palmar carpal osteochondral fragments and determine whether the fragments were indicators of the severity of pathologic joint changes or prognosis. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 31 racehorses. Methods: Medical records, radiographs, and videos of arthroscopic procedures were reviewed. Information gathered included signalment; location, number, and size of the primary lesion; number and size of palmar carpal fragments; and details pertaining to surgical procedures. Outcome variables were obtained from race records. Results: 31 horses met the ...
Schneider N, Heimann M, Lejeune JP, Verwilghen DR, Deby-Dupont GP, Serteyn DA.In the human and equine species, different kinds of free floating intra-articular particles are related to certain disorders. Osteochondral fragments formed during osteochondrosis dissecans are the most common finding in the equine species, whereas in humans rice bodies due to rheumatoid arthritis are more frequent. Herein we report a third type of floating body inside the stifle of an adult draught horse stallion, in macroscopic appearance similar to articular rice bodies known in humans. As revealed by histologic examination, the two particles consist of polypoid degenerated structures deriv...
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...
Gee EK, Firth EC, Morel PC, Fennessy PF, Grace ND, Mogg TD.To determine the influence of copper (Cu) supplementation by injection of mares in late gestation on the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis (OC) lesions in their foals at around 160 days of age. To determine if there was any influence of the concentration of Cu in the liver, growth rate, birthweight, weight at 160 days of age, fatness, sex, or year of birth of the foal on the frequency and severity of OC lesions. To determine the influence of dam's age, and sex and birthweight of the foal on the growth rate from birth to 160 days of age, and weight at 160 days of age. Methods: Thirty-th...
Gee E, Davies M, Firth E, Jeffcott L, Fennessy P, Mogg T.Copper (Cu) supplementation of dams in late gestation may be protective against articular cartilage abnormalities in foals. Articular cartilage was harvested from 22 Thoroughbred foals at 160 days of age, at sites predisposed to osteochondrosis (OC), and examined for evidence of early cartilage abnormalities and established dyschondroplastic (DCP) lesions to determine if there were any significant differences due to mare Cu supplementation by injection during late gestation, or foal liver Cu concentration. Cu supplemented mares received calcium Cu edetate injections in late gestation (250 mg a...
Fortier LA, Nixon AJ.Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and subchondral bone cysts (SBCs) occur commonly and at many different locations in equine limbs and can lead to secondary osteoarthritis when left untreated. Depending on the location and extent of the lesion, arthroscopic surgical debridement may be an effective treatment for returning a horse to athletic soundness. In many cases, however, additional techniques to improve the healing response in bone and cartilage are needed so as to preserve articular function. Methods for improving cartilage repair (ie, restoration of damaged cartilage)or regeneration (ie, r...
Jansson N.To evaluate the use of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) gas for joint distention during arthroscopy for removal of osteochondral (OC) fragments of the palmar/plantar aspect of the metacarpo (MCP)/metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints in horses. Methods: Clinical study. Methods: Horses (26) with OC fragment(s) of palmar/plantar aspect of 1 or 2 MCP/MTP joint(s). Methods: OC fragments were removed using arthroscopic technique. Joint distention was maintained by isotonic Ringer's acetate at the beginning and at the end of the procedure but during fragment removal, CO(2) was used for joint distention. After surg...
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...
Skiöldebrand E, Heinegård D, Eloranta ML, Nilsson G, Dudhia J, Sandgren B, Ekman S.The aim of the present study was to correlate the levels of COMP and aggrecan as indicators of tissue damage, in synovial fluid (sf) from carpal joints of acutely lame racehorses, with macroscopical lesions of articular cartilage (OA), osteochondral fractures and ligament tears found at arthroscopy. Sixty-three lame horses [49 Standardbred trotters (STB) and 14 Thoroughbreds (TB)] in conventional training and racing that underwent arthroscopy of their middle carpal or radiocarpal joints were included in the study. Intact as well as fragmented COMP and aggrecan released into the synovial fluid ...
Shoemaker RS, Bertone AL, Martin GS, McIlwraith CW, Roberts ED, Pechman R, Kearney MT.The effects of intra-articular administration of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) on the healing of full-thickness osteochondral defects and on normal cartilage were evaluated in 8 horses. In group-1 horses (n = 4), a 1-cm-diameter, full-thickness defect was created bilaterally in the articular cartilage on the dorsal distal surface of the radial carpal bone. Cartilage defects were not created in group-2 horses (n = 4). One middle carpal joint was randomly selected in each horse (groups 1 and 2), and treated with an intra-articular injection of 100 mg of MPA, once a week for 4 treatments. Inje...
Wright IM, Minshall GJ.Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the distal sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal bone (McIII) has not previously been described in the literature. Objective: To describe the clinical, radiological and arthroscopic features of OCD of the distal sagittal ridge of the McIII and to report outcome in a series of cases. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Case records and images of horses with OCD of the distal sagittal ridge of the McIII admitted to a single referral centre between February 2006 and February 2013 were reviewed. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone questionna...
Fontaine P, Blond L, Alexander K, Beauchamp G, Richard H, Laverty S.Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is a focal failure of endochondral ossification of the epiphysis characterized by the presence of cartilage flaps and osteochondral fragments. The objective of this study was to image epiphyseal development in the equine pelvic limb to determine whether there was a variation in site maturation that could be a predisposing factor for OCD. Pelvic limbs (fetuses and foals) were studied post-mortem. The epiphyses of the distal femur, tibia and talus were scanned with computed tomography (CT) and 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the degree and pat...
Bone reportsJune 21, 2018
Volume 9 19-26 doi: 10.1016/j.bonr.2018.06.003
Semevolos SA, Duesterdieck-Zellmer KF, Larson M, Kinsley MA.Osteochondrosis (OC) is a naturally occurring disease of the articular-epiphyseal cartilage and subchondral bone layers, leading to pain and decreased mobility. The objective of this study was to characterize gene and protein expression of apoptotic markers in chondrocytes surrounding cartilage canals and along the osteochondral junction of osteochondrosis (OC)-affected and normal cartilage, using naturally occurring disease in horses. Paraffin-embedded osteochondral samples (6 OC, 8 normal controls) and cDNA from chondrocytes captured with laser capture microdissection (4 OC, 6 normal control...
Oliver LJ, Baird DK, Baird AN, Moore GE.To characterise the prevalence and distribution of radiographic changes in the hocks and stifles of Thoroughbred yearling colts and fillies in New Zealand and compare them with other populations of young horses. Methods: Repository radiographs taken in New Zealand for the 2003-2006 Thoroughbred national yearling sales were evaluated by two individual readers. The distribution of radiographic changes was classified as left side only, right side only, or bilateral. Lesions were categorised by type, location, and sex of the yearling. Complete sets of hock and stifle radiographs of 1,505 yearlings...
Nino-Fong R, McD￮ LA, Esparza Gonzalez BP, Kumar MR, Merschrod S EF, Poduska KM.The in vitro viability, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization of four different equine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow, periosteum, muscle, and adipose tissue are compared, when they are cultured with different collagen-based scaffolds or with fibrin glue. The results indicate that bone marrow cells are the best source of MSCs for osteogenic differentiation, and that an electrochemically aggregated collagen gives the highest cell viability and best osteogenic differentiation among the four kinds of scaffolds studied.
Elashry MI, Baulig N, Wagner AS, Klymiuk MC, Kruppke B, Hanke T, Wenisch S, Arnhold S.Combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and biomaterials is a rapidly growing approach in regenerative medicine particularly for chronic degenerative disorders including osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. The present study examined the effect of biomaterial scaffolds on equine adipose-derived MSC morphology, viability, adherence, migration, and osteogenic differentiation. MSCs were cultivated in conjunction with collagen CultiSpher-S Microcarrier (MC), nanocomposite xerogels B30 and combined B30 with strontium (B30Str) biomaterials in osteogenic differentiation medium either under static or...
Schneider RK, Ragle CA, Carter BG, Davis WE.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...
Bridges CH, Womack JE, Harris ED, Scrutchfield WL.Of 8 Thoroughbred foals in which osteochondrosis developed before weaning, 7 had serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations below normal. Three foals on one farm had serum zinc content high enough to suggest zinc toxicosis, and the liver of each foal contained abnormally high content of zinc. Four foals from the second farm had extremely low serum copper content, but normal serum zinc content. Evidence of environmental exposure to excess zinc was not found on either farm. The lesions in the zones of endochondral ossification of the afflicted foals were similar in many respects to those foun...
Bertone AL, McIlwraith CW, Powers BE, Trotter GW, Stashak TS.Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and subchondral cyst-like lesions in 13 shoulders of 11 horses were treated arthroscopically by curettage and lavage. Lameness decreased in all 11 horses. Nine horses were sound, five of them athletically sound, after 5 to 20 months. Complications included the development of subchondral cyst-like lesions and signs of degenerative joint disease. Arthroscopic surgery of the equine shoulder can be done through two portals, one for the arthroscope and one for an instrument. A few hand instruments such as a probe, Ferris-Smith rongeurs, and small, large, and right-an...
Caron JP, Bowker RM, Abhold RH, Toppin DS, Sonea IM, Vex KB.This preliminary study was designed to determine whether the neurotransmitter substance P was present in the middle carpal synovial membrane of the normal horse and whether the neuropeptide could be identified in the synovial fluid of normal horses and those with joint diseases. Immunocytochemistry on middle carpal synovial membrane biopsies from fresh cadavers was used to demonstrate substance P-containing neural elements. Substance P was most abundant in the subintimal portion of the membrane, with occasional filaments coursing via synovial fronds to the intimal portion. Radioimmunoassay tec...
Zabek T, Golonka P, Fornal A, Semik E.Genetic polymorphism of IHH gene were investigated in Angloarabian, Polish Coldblood and Polish Halfbred horses with the inclusion of a group of Polish Halfbreds affected by osteochondrosis. IHH is a good candidate gene for association study of developmental disorders mainly affecting skeleton development. DNA sequence spanning IHH gene annotated in the horse genome and its putative promoter were investigated using SANGER sequencing. Analysis of genetic variability at polymorphic sites in the IHH gene body and the promoter region confirmed genetic differences between warmblood and coldblood ho...
Bone reportsJanuary 5, 2023
Volume 18 101653 doi: 10.1016/j.bonr.2023.101653
Grissom SK, Semevolos SA, Duesterdieck-Zellmer K.The objective of this study is to better understand the pathogenesis of early equine osteochondrosis (OC) by identifying differences in gene and protein expression of extracellular matrix components and regulators in normal and diseased cartilage and bone, focusing on the osteochondral junction and cells surrounding the cartilage canals. We expected to find an upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases and a decrease in extracellular matrix constituent expression along the osteochondral junction and cells surrounding the cartilage canals in OC samples. Paraffin-embedded osteochondral samples (6...
Sigurdsson SF, Olstad K, Ley CJ, Björnsdóttir S, Griffiths DJ, Fjordbakk CT.Osteochondrosis occurs due to failure of the blood supply to growth cartilage. Osteochondrosis lesions have been identified in small tarsal bones and suggested to cause distal tarsal osteoarthritis; however, it has not been determined whether distal tarsal osteochondrosis lesions were the result of vascular failure. Objective: To perform post-mortem arterial perfusion and micro-computed tomography (CT) of the central (CTB) and third tarsal bones (TIII) of fetuses and foals up to 5 months old, to describe tarsal development and any lesions detected. Methods: Descriptive, nonconsecutive case se...
Getman LM, Southwood LL, Richardson DW.To evaluate records of racehorses with palmar carpal osteochondral fragments and determine whether the fragments were indicators of the severity of pathologic joint changes or prognosis. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 31 racehorses. Methods: Medical records, radiographs, and videos of arthroscopic procedures were reviewed. Information gathered included signalment; location, number, and size of the primary lesion; number and size of palmar carpal fragments; and details pertaining to surgical procedures. Outcome variables were obtained from race records. Results: 31 horses met the ...
Nixon AJ, Pool RR.Osteochondral fragments from the axial proximoplantar/proximopalmar region of the proximal phalanx were removed from 38 joints in 30 horses. Ninety-three percent of the horses were Standardbreds, and 28 of the 30 had a low-grade lameness. All but 1 of the horses had hind limb involvement. A total of 43 fragments were removed. Most (71%) of the fragments involved the medial aspect of the joint and had to be dissected from a covering of synovial tissue. Histologically, the circumference of most fragments consisted of a transition zone at the attachment of the joint capsule, a region of nonarticu...
Declercq J, Martens A, Maes D, Boussauw B, Forsyth R, Boening KJ.The objective of the present study was to determine clinical and arthroscopic characteristics associated with dorsoproximal proximal phalanx (P1) fragments in Warmblood horses, as well as to examine their histopathological appearance. One hundred sixty-eight fragments were removed from 150 fetlocks of 117 Warmblood horses. Details of signalment and results of clinical examination were collected prior to surgery. After arthroscopic fragment removal and joint evaluation for synovial and/or cartilage abnormalities, the fragments were measured and evaluated histopathologically. The vast majority o...
Radcliffe RM, Cheetham J, Bezuidenhout AJ, Ducharme NG, Nixon AJ.To describe anatomic considerations and arthroscopic technique in horses for arthroscopic removal of palmar/plantar osteochondral fragments from the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Adult horses (n=4) with osteochondral fragments of the palmar/plantar PIP joint. Methods: Arthroscopic removal of palmar/plantar osteochondral fragments within the PIP joint was performed with horses in dorsal recumbency under general anesthesia. Medical records of affected horses were reviewed to determine history; physical, lameness, and radiological findings; surgical ...
Hellings IR, Dolvik NI, Ekman S, Olstad K.Some epiphyseal growth cartilage canals are surrounded by a ring of hypereosinophilic matrix consisting of collagen type I. Absence of the collagen type I ring may predispose canal vessels to failure and osteochondrosis, which can lead to fragments in joints (osteochondrosis dissecans). It is not known whether the ring develops in response to programming or biomechanical force. The distribution that may reveal the function of the ring has only been described in the distal femur of a limited number of foals. It is also not known which cells are responsible for producing the collagen ring. The a...
Graham RJTY, Rosanowski SM, McILWRAITH CW.Osteochondral fragmentation of the carpus is a common cause of lameness in racehorses. Prognosis following arthroscopic removal of the fragments was reported in 1987, but little is known of recent success rates. Objective: To identify associations between the severity and location of osteochondral fragments in the carpus, and to describe the racing performance of horses pre- and post-surgery in Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses. To identify factors associated with a horse racing post-surgery. Methods: Retrospective study of clinical records (2006-2016). Methods: Surgical and racing records for ...
van Weeren PR, Knaap J, Firth EC.To elucidate the highly contentious role of copper in the pathogenesis of osteochondrosis. Objective: There would be no relationship between liver copper concentration of mares and foals and incidence of radiographically detectable osteochondrotic lesions in foals and yearlings was tested. Methods: Liver copper concentration was assessed in biopsies taken within 4 days after birth from both mares and foals and from the same foals at age 5 months. Biopsies were taken in the standing, sedated animal under ultrasonographic guidance. Radiographs were taken of both hocks (lateromedial, dorsoplantar...
van den Hoogen BM, van de Lest CH, van Weeren PR, van Golde LM, Barneveld A.In osteochondrosis (OC) the process of endochondral ossification is impaired. Proteoglycans form one of the major components of the extracellular matrix of cartilage and are able to bind calcium. For this reason, proteoglycans are thought to play an important role early in the mineralisation process and may, therefore, be important in the pathogenesis of OC. To investigate possible differences in proteoglycan metabolism, normal and osteochondrotic articular-epiphyseal cartilage was harvested from the hock and stifle joints of 43 foals age 5 and 11 months. The samples were cultured as explants ...
Nixon AJ, Adams RM, Teigland MB.Bilateral subchondral cystic lesions of the femoral head in a horse resulted in lameness. The lesions had resulted in degenerative disease in the left coxofemoral joint. The cause of lameness was confirmed by use of intra-articular anesthesia, joint fluid analysis, and radiography. Subchondral cystic lesions involving the femoral head should be considered in the differential diagnosis of equine lameness localized in the upper portion of the hind limb.
UpRichard K, Elce YA, Piat P, Beauchamp G, Laverty S.To determine the short- and long-term outcome for sport horses after arthroscopic treatment of osteochondrosis of the lateral trochlear ridge of the femur. Methods: A retrospective study was performed using the medical records of horses intended for use as English sport horses. Outcome was obtained through telephone questionnaire. Results: Thirty-seven horses, mainly Warmbloods, underwent arthroscopic surgery for treatment of lateral femoral trochlear ridge osteochondrosis. Short-term outcome revealed that 27 of 37 horses had no complications. Seven horses had postoperative lameness and effusi...
Robert C, Valette JP, Jacquet S, Lepeule J, Denoix JM.The possible aetiology of osteochondrosis and, to a lesser extent, other developmental orthopaedic diseases or juvenile osteochondral conditions (JOCC), has been intensively investigated. However, most studies have focused on single factors of this multi-factorial disorder, or have been conducted under experimental conditions. This paper aims to present and discuss the scientific background of the BOSAC (Breeding, Osteochondral Status and Athletic Career) research program, a multi-factorial investigation on JOCC risk factors in field conditions. The epidemiology of JOCC in horses born in Norma...
Hoey S, O'Sullivan J, Byrne J, Devine S, Toomey W, McAllister H, Skelly C.Osteochondrosis is a common condition of young horses where there is a failure of endochondral ossification, usually at predisposed sites. The estimated prevalence of osteochondrosis is 33-44%, with radiographic screening of yearlings being used to identify lesions. Radiography has two major limitations: poor sensitivity in detecting cartilaginous lesions and secondly, the exposure of the horse and personnel to ionising radiation. Ultrasonography allows imaging of the articular cartilage and subchondral bone margins and has been shown to be more sensitive in identifying osteochondrosis lesions...
Dabareiner RM, Sullins KE, White NA.The clinical and radiographic progression, and arthroscopic findings for nine young horses (< 1 year of age) with femoropatellar osteochondrosis (OCD) are presented. Horses had a 2 to 12 week history of bilateral (8 horses) or unilateral (1 horse) hindlimb lameness. The most consistent clinical signs included femoropatellar joint distention and bilateral hindlimb lameness. At the onset of clinical signs, radiographic lesions were not present (4 horses) or subtle (5 horses), but were easily identified on radiographs taken 4 to 24 weeks later. Arthroscopic surgery was delayed until radiograph...
