Assessment of a novel equine tarsocrural experimental joint disease model using recombinant interleukin-1β and arthroscopic articular sampling of the medial malleolus of the tibia on the standing sedated horse.
Abstract: Joint disease and osteoarthritis are common problems in the horse and numerous experimental studies have been developed to determine the safety and efficacy of new therapies. Synovitis, a critical component of joint disease, has been experimentally induced using recombinant interleukin-1 beta (reIL-1β) to investigate new joint therapies in a controlled environment, although the use of reIL-1β has not been reported in the equine tarsocrural joint. A common consequence of performing controlled experiments is that articular tissue collection typically requires general anesthesia or euthanasia. This report describes a minimally invasive surgical biopsy technique to harvest joint tissues from the tarsocrural joint in standing horses. The aims of the study were to assess subjective and objective pain parameters following reIL-1β induced synovitis in the tarsocrural joint and to describe the surgical technique including the location and quantity of tissues obtained with this method. Experimental synovitis was induced using reIL-1β in one equine tarsocrural joint of each horse using a randomised controlled design. The minimally invasive surgical technique provided sufficient amounts of articular cartilage from the medial malleolus of the tibia and synovium to perform viability, biochemical and histological assessments without necessitating general anesthesia. The minimally invasive technique also allowed for lameness assessment that could have been influenced by more invasive methods of tissue collection. No incisional or lameness complications were detected after use. The synovitis model and surgical technique provided ample tissue for laboratory evaluation and avoided general anesthesia or sacrifice of the horse.
Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2017-10-31 PubMed ID: 29183574DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.10.021Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
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This study introduces and evaluates a novel technique for inducing joint disease in horses, specifically in the tarsocrural joint, for the study and testing of new therapies. The technique is minimally invasive, does not require general anesthesia, and allows for collection of tissue samples adequate for further laboratory tests.
Research Focus
- The research predominantly focuses on finding better ways to study and test new therapies for joint disease and osteoarthritis in horses. Since these are common health problems in horses, this is an area of pressing research need.
- The study introduces a novel method for inducing synovitis, an important component of joint disease, in the equine tarsocrural joint, using recombinant interleukin-1 beta (reIL-1β).
- Additionally, the research is also dedicated to developing a minimally invasive surgical biopsy technique for harvesting joint tissues for further testing and analysis from sedated, standing horses.
Methodology and Findings
- The researchers induced synovitis using reIL-1β in one tarsocrural joint of each horse in the study using a randomised controlled design.
- The biopsy technique developed by the researchers allowed for the collection of enough articular cartilage from the medial malleolus of the tibia (the bump on the inner side of the ankle) and synovium to perform viability, biochemical and histological assessments without the need for general anesthesia.
- The technique also enabled lameness assessment, which could be influenced by more invasive methods of tissue collection.
- No complications in terms of incisions or lameness were detected after the use of this technique.
Conclusion
- The synovitis model and surgical biopsy technique proposed by the researchers were found to be successful in providing sufficient tissue for laboratory evaluation while avoiding the need for general anesthesia or putting down the horse.
- This method would enable further research and testing of new therapies for joint disease in horses by providing a controlled and less invasive method of inducing and studying the disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Nelson BB, King MR, Frisbie DD.
(2017).
Assessment of a novel equine tarsocrural experimental joint disease model using recombinant interleukin-1β and arthroscopic articular sampling of the medial malleolus of the tibia on the standing sedated horse.
Vet J, 229, 54-59.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2017.10.021 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Electronic address: david.frisbie@colostate.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arthroscopy / veterinary
- Cartilage, Articular / pathology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Injections, Intra-Articular / veterinary
- Interleukin-1beta / administration & dosage
- Interleukin-1beta / pharmacology
- Lameness, Animal
- Male
- Pain, Postoperative / veterinary
- Posture
- Synovial Fluid / drug effects
- Synovitis / chemically induced
- Synovitis / pathology
- Synovitis / veterinary
- Tarsus, Animal
- Treatment Outcome
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Korac L, St George L, MacNicol J, McCrae P, Jung L, Golestani N, Karrow N, Cánovas A, Pearson W. Functional and biochemical inflammatory responses to low-dose intra-articular recombinant equine IL-1β: a pilot study. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1746738.
- Roth SP, Liso G, Brehm W, Wagner B, Schnabel CL, Troillet A. Selected cytokine and chemokine concentrations in equine autologous conditioned serum are similar under defined and practically relevant storage conditions. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1588240.
- Vishwanath K, Secor EJ, Watkins A, Reesink HL, Bonassar LJ. Loss of effective lubricating viscosity is the primary mechanical marker of joint inflammation in equine synovitis. J Orthop Res 2024 Jul;42(7):1438-1447.
- Erxleben DA, Dodd RJ, Day AJ, Green DE, DeAngelis PL, Poddar S, Enghild JJ, Huebner JL, Kraus VB, Watkins AR, Reesink HL, Rahbar E, Hall AR. Targeted Analysis of the Size Distribution of Heavy Chain-Modified Hyaluronan with Solid-State Nanopores. Anal Chem 2024 Jan 30;96(4):1606-1613.
- Watkins A, Fasanello D, Stefanovski D, Schurer S, Caracappa K, D'Agostino A, Costello E, Freer H, Rollins A, Read C, Su J, Colville M, Paszek M, Wagner B, Reesink H. Investigation of synovial fluid lubricants and inflammatory cytokines in the horse: a comparison of recombinant equine interleukin 1 beta-induced synovitis and joint lavage models. BMC Vet Res 2021 May 12;17(1):189.
- Colbath AC, Dow SW, Hopkins LS, Phillips JN, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR. Single and repeated intra-articular injections in the tarsocrural joint with allogeneic and autologous equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells are safe, but did not reduce acute inflammation in an experimental interleukin-1β model of synovitis. Equine Vet J 2020 Jul;52(4):601-612.
- Colbath AC, Dow SW, Hopkins LS, Phillips JN, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR. Induction of Synovitis Using Interleukin-1 Beta: Are There Differences in the Response of Middle Carpal Joint Compared to the Tibiotarsal Joint?. Front Vet Sci 2018;5:208.
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