Arthrotomy versus arthroscopy and partial synovectomy for treatment of experimentally induced infectious arthritis in horses.

The research seeks to compare the effectiveness of two different methods, arthrotomy and arthroscopy, for treating infectious arthritis in horses. The study found that arthrotomy was more effective at eliminating the bacteria causing the infection, Staphylococcus aureus.

Research Methodology

• The experiment involved injecting Staphylococcus aureus into the tarsocrural joints of eight horses. Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for many infections in domestic animals, including arthritis.
• Following the bacterial infection, each horse was given treatment medication: phenylbutazone, which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and gentamicin sulfate, an antibiotic.
• The horses were then split into two treatment groups. One group underwent an arthrotomy procedure, which involved the surgical incision into a joint to remove fibrin and lavage (cleanse) the joint with sterile balanced electrolyte solution. An indwelling plastic drain was placed to continue the lavage for three days.
• The second group was treated with arthroscopy, which involves a less invasive procedure that includes debridement (removing damaged tissue), synovectomy (removal of a part or all of the inflamed joint lining), and lavage.

Research Observations and Findings

• Over the course of the study, the horses underwent regular examinations including lameness and thermographic examinations, synovia analysis and bacteriologic culture, CBC, and WBC differential count.
• Observations and measurements were made on various days and continued up to day 14 after inoculation when all horses were euthanized for final joint analysis.
• The clinical and lab observations showed that horses treated with arthroscopy displayed greater lameness and had larger joint circumference, indicating more inflammation, when compared to the ones treated using the arthrotomy method.
• Interestingly, the arthrotomy method resulted in a faster elimination of the Staphylococcus aureus infection than the arthroscopy method, with arthroscopy taking significantly longer.
• Despite the difference in time, both methods eventually succeeded in completely eradicating the infection, except in one instance.

Conclusion

• Based on this study, it can be concluded that while both arthrotomy and arthroscopy are capable of treating infectious arthritis in horses, arthrotomy showed better results in terms of joint inflammation and quicker elimination of the bacterial infection.