Biomechanical and histologic evaluation of the effects of underwater treadmill exercise on horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of exercise in an underwater treadmill (UWT) on forelimb biomechanics and articular histologic outcomes in horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint. ANIMALS 16 horses. PROCEDURES An osteochondral fragment was induced arthroscopically (day 0) in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse. Beginning on day 15, horses were assigned to exercise in a UWT or in the UWT without water (simulating controlled hand walking) at the same speed, frequency, and duration. Thoracic and pelvic limb ground reaction forces, thoracic limb kinematics, and electromyographic results for select thoracic limb muscles acting on the carpi were collected on days -7 (baseline), 14, 42, and 70. Weekly evaluations included clinical assessments of lameness, response to carpal joint flexion, and goniometric measurements of thoracic limb articulations. At study conclusion, articular cartilage and synovial membrane from the middle carpal joints was histologically examined. RESULTS Exercise in a UWT significantly reduced synovial membrane inflammation and resulted in significant clinical improvements with regard to symmetric thoracic limb loading, uniform activation patterns of select thoracic limb muscles, and return to baseline values for carpal joint flexion, compared with results for horses with simulated hand walking. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Overall improvements in thoracic limb function, joint range of motion, and synovial membrane integrity indicated that exercise in a UWT was a potentially viable therapeutic option for the management of carpal joint osteoarthritis in horses.
Publication Date: 2017-04-26 PubMed ID: 28441054DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.78.5.558Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research aimed to investigate the impact of underwater treadmill exercise on horses suffering from osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint. It was found that this form of exercise significantly reduced inflammation of the joint’s synovial membrane and led to noticeable clinical improvements.
Study Design
- The study involved 16 horses each with an experimentally induced osteochondral fragment in one middle carpal (knee) joint.
- From day 15 of the experiment, horses were allocated to either underwater treadmill (UWT) exercise or simulated hand walking in the UWT apparatus without water, with both groups maintaining the same speed, frequency, and duration of exercise.
- Data, including thoracic and pelvic limb ground reaction forces, kinematics of the thoracic limb, and electromyographic results for specific thoracic limb muscles, was gathered on days -7 (baseline), 14, 42, and 70. In addition, weekly evaluations of lameness, response to carpal joint flexion, and goniometric measurements of thoracic limb joints were carried out.
- Post-study, the articular cartilage and synovial membrane from the middle carpal joint of each horse was histologically examined.
Key Findings
- Underwater treadmill exercise was found to significantly lower inflammation in the synovial membrane.
- Clinical improvements were recorded after UWT exercise, including more uniform loading on the thoracic (fore) limbs, more regular activation patterns in the relevant muscles, and carpal joint flexion returning to baseline values when benchmarked against the simulated hand walking group.
- The final histological examination of the joint materials showed that UWT exercise improved the physiological integrity of the carpal joint synovial membrane.
Clinical Implications
- The researchers concluded that improvements in limb function, range of joint motion, and the health of the synovial membrane suggested that underwater treadmill exercise could be an effective therapeutic option in managing osteoarthritis in the carpal joint of horses.
Cite This Article
APA
King MR, Haussler KK, Kawcak CE, McIlwraith CW, Reiser RF, Frisbie DD, Werpy NM.
(2017).
Biomechanical and histologic evaluation of the effects of underwater treadmill exercise on horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis of the middle carpal joint.
Am J Vet Res, 78(5), 558-569.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.78.5.558 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Carpus, Animal / pathology
- Cartilage, Articular / pathology
- Exercise Therapy / veterinary
- Extremities
- Forelimb / pathology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / pathology
- Lameness, Animal / therapy
- Osteoarthritis / pathology
- Osteoarthritis / therapy
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Range of Motion, Articular
- Synovial Membrane
- Walking
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