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Home / Equine Research Bank / Transl Anim Sci / Administration of sodium hyaluronate to adult horses prior t...
Translational animal science2024; 8; txae153; doi: 10.1093/tas/txae153

Administration of sodium hyaluronate to adult horses prior to and immediately after exercise does not alter the range of motion in either the tarsus or metacarpophalangeal joints.

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid (HA), a glycosaminoglycan found in joint synovial fluid, is administered to horses as an anti-inflammatory with lubrication properties. This experiment examined the effects of HA administered before and shortly after an exercise test on metacarpophalangeal (MCP; fetlock) and tibiotarsal (hock) joint range of motion (ROM). Horses were injected intravenously (IV) with placebo (4 mL, saline) or HA (4 mL, 40 mg) 24 h before performing a standardized exercise test (SET) on a high-speed treadmill and again at 6-h post-SET. Passive fetlock flexion was measured at 4 and 24 h post-SET. Hock flexion and extension were measured at 24 h post-SET by videography and kinematic evaluation at the trot. Parameters of the SET were sufficient to cause peak lactate values of 6.6 ± 0.15 mM and a maximum heart rate of 203.6 ± 4.8 bpm. A minor gain (P = 0.08) in fetlock flexion prior to SET was observed in HA horses that were not retained at either 4 or 24 h post-SET. Hock flexion in both limbs was greater (P < 0.05) at 24 h post-SET, independent of treatment. Horses receiving HA exhibited reduced (P = 0.04) right hock extension. No differences in either right or left hock ROM were observed between control and HA-treated horses. From these results, it is concluded that IV HA injections surrounding an exercise stressor offer no substantive gains in either fetlock or hock ROM.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.
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Publication Date: 2024-11-02 PubMed ID: 39554613PubMed Central: PMC11568345DOI: 10.1093/tas/txae153Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study researched whether administering hyaluronic acid (HA) to horses before and after exercise impacts the range of motion in the fetlock and hock joints. The result showed no significant change in joint flexibility following this treatment.

Background

  • The subject of the study is hyaluronic acid (HA), a glycosaminoglycan found in the synovial fluid in joints. HA is given to horses as an anti-inflammatory substance with lubricating properties to support joint health.
  • The goal of the study was to examine whether administering HA before and shortly after an exercise test would affect the range of motion (ROM) in two particular joints in horses: the metacarpophalangeal (MCP), commonly known as the fetlock joint, and the tibiotarsal, commonly known as the ‘hock’ joint.

Research Methodology

  • Horses participating in the study were injected with either a HA solution or a saline solution (as a placebo control) 24 hours before conducting a standardized exercise test (SET) on a high-speed treadmill.
  • Another dose of either HA or saline was given six hours after the exercise test.
  • The flexibility of the fetlock joint was measured four and twenty-four hours after the test while the hock joint’s flexibility was only measured twenty-four hours after the test.
  • The intensity of the SET was enough to cause high lactate values and a significant increase in heart rate, indicating that the exercise was sufficiently rigorous.

Findings and Conclusion

  • Results showed a minor increase in fetlock flexion before the exercise test in horses that received HA. However, this slight increase was not present either four hours or twenty-four hours after the exercise test.
  • On the 24-hour mark after the exercise test, greater hock flexion in both limbs was recorded for all horses in the study, regardless of whether they had received the HA or not.
  • Horses that had been administered HA showed reduced hock extension in the right hock, but this was not statistically significant.
  • Overall, it was concluded that there is no significant beneficial gain in either fetlock or hock ROM from giving horses HA injections around time of exercise.

Cite This Article

APA
Riley JW, Chance LM, Barshick MR, Johnson SE. (2024). Administration of sodium hyaluronate to adult horses prior to and immediately after exercise does not alter the range of motion in either the tarsus or metacarpophalangeal joints. Transl Anim Sci, 8, txae153. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae153

Publication

Translational animal science
ISSN: 2573-2102
NlmUniqueID: 101738705
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 8
Pages: txae153

Researcher Affiliations

Riley, Julia W
  • School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Chance, Lara M
  • School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Barshick, Madison R
  • School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Johnson, Sally E
  • School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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