Clinical use and characteristics of the corticosteroids.

This study discusses the therapeutic and potential harmful effects of corticosteroids when used in performance horses’ joints, highlighting the high efficacy of these steroids in reducing inflammation but also the potential for increased joint breakdown and other complications.

Therapeutic Effects of Corticosteroids

• As this research points out, corticosteroids are often employed in performance horses’ care due to their powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
• By injecting these steroids directly into the joint, localized relief from inflammation can be achieved, a process known as intra-articular corticosteroid therapy.

Potential Complications of Corticosteroid Use

• The study notes that while corticosteroids have significant anti-inflammatory capabilities, their use also risks suppressing the anabolic activity within the joint. This suppression can lead to a faster rate of joint breakdown.
• It is highlighted that two primary complications can arise with intra-articular corticosteroid therapy: septic arthritis and steroid arthropathy.
• The former typically results from unwanted contamination of the joint at the time of injection; the latter involves a heightened rate of joint destruction and symptoms of severe degenerative joint disease, visible in radiographic studies.
• In both septic arthritis and steroid arthropathy, the prognosis is unfavorably poor.

Adverse Side Effects of Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy

• Systemic corticosteroid therapy, wherein the steroids are dispensed throughout the body, also carries its share of undesired effects according to the study.
• These include the suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system, usually responsible for producing critical hormones in the body. This suppression can increase the horse’s vulnerability to infections.
• Another side effect is laminitis, a painful and potentially crippling disease affecting the horse’s hooves.
• However, the study does note that moderate use of glucocorticoids, a type of corticosteroid, does not irreversibly impact adrenal function.