Comparison of equine articular cartilage thickness in various joints.
Abstract: Thicknesses of fresh equine articular cartilage surfaces from the fetlock, carpal and stifle joints were measured employing a needle probe test. Methods: Eighty-seven samples used in measurement were cultivated from fetlock, carpal and stifle joints of 12 deceased within 4 h of death. After approximately three minutes of exposure to air during dissection, all cartilage samples were preserved in a saline solution to keep the articular cartilage hydrated for testing. The thickness was measured on five different spots on the same sample. The thicknesses of the fetlock, carpus and stifle were compared. Results: The articular cartilage of the stifle was thicker than the fetlock and carpus, while the fetlock and the carpus had similar thickness values. The average thickness of the fetlock, carpal and stifle joint are 0.86, 0.87 and 2.1 mm, respectively. They were statistically compared using the Student t-test. The differences on the articular cartilage thicknesses between the fetlock and stifle, and carpus and stifle were "very highly significant" (p < 0.001). This indicates that the articular cartilage thickness of the stifle is significantly different from that of the fetlock and carpus. Four different surfaces in the fetlock and four in the carpal joint were also compared. Significant differences between each set of the four surfaces were not observed. In the carpus, the difference in thickness between the distal radius and proximal third carpal bone articular cartilage surfaces as well as the proximal radial carpal bone and distal radial carpal bone articular cartilage surfaces were statistically significant.
Publication Date: 2014-08-26 PubMed ID: 25111191DOI: 10.3109/03008207.2014.949698Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research paper presents a comparative study of the thickness of articular cartilage in various joints of horses. The study found that the articular cartilage in the stifle joint was significantly thicker than the cartilage in the fetlock and carpal joints.
Methods
- The study made use of 87 samples of articular cartilage from the fetlock, carpal, and stifle joints of 12 horses that had passed away within 4 hours.
- The cartilage samples were kept hydrated in a saline solution after being exposed in the air for around three minutes during dissection for preserving their natural state for testing.
- The thickness of each cartilage sample was measured at five different spots and the results were used for comparison.
Results
- The study found the thickness of the articular cartilage in the stifle joint to be more significant as compared to the fetlock and the carpal joints with an average thickness of 2.1 mm, while the fetlock and carpal joints had similar thickness values of around 0.86 and 0.87 mm respectively.
- Statistical testing with the Student t-test revealed that the differences in thickness between the stifle and the other joints were “very highly significant” (p < 0.001).
- When comparing different surfaces within the fetlock and carpal joints, there was no evidence of significant differences in cartilage thickness. However, in the carpus, some differences were observed between the distal radius and proximal third carpal bone articular cartilage surfaces, and between the proximal radial carpal bone and distal radial carpal bone articular cartilage surfaces.
Interpretation and Implications
- The findings signify a considerable difference in the thickness of cartilage across different joints in horses, which is crucial in understanding joint health, diseases, and treatment options.
- The thickness of the cartilage in a joint can influence how the joint functions and responds to stress or injury, and this study provides valuable data for equine health professionals.
Cite This Article
APA
Lee H, Kirkland WG, Whitmore RN, Theis KM, Young HE, Richardson AJ, Jackson RL, Hanson RR.
(2014).
Comparison of equine articular cartilage thickness in various joints.
Connect Tissue Res, 55(5-6), 339-347.
https://doi.org/10.3109/03008207.2014.949698 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University , Auburn, AL , USA and.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Body Weights and Measures / veterinary
- Cartilage, Articular / anatomy & histology
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Joints / anatomy & histology
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Nocera I, Puccinelli C, Sgorbini M, Bagnoli E, Citi S. Ultrasonography of the Metacarpal/Tarsal-Phalangeal Joints in Healthy Racehorses: Normal Appearance, Breed-Related and Age-Related Features. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 3;12(19).
- Andersen C, Griffin JF 4th, Jacobsen S, Østergaard S, Walters M, Mori Y, Lindegaard C. Validation of ultrasonography for measurement of cartilage thickness in the equine carpus. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2022 Jul;63(4):478-489.
- Rosser J, Bachmann B, Jordan C, Ribitsch I, Haltmayer E, Gueltekin S, Junttila S, Galik B, Gyenesei A, Haddadi B, Harasek M, Egerbacher M, Ertl P, Jenner F. Microfluidic nutrient gradient-based three-dimensional chondrocyte culture-on-a-chip as an in vitro equine arthritis model. Mater Today Bio 2019 Sep;4:100023.
- Peal BT, Gagliardi R, Su J, Fortier LA, Delco ML, Nixon AJ, Reesink HL. Synovial fluid lubricin and hyaluronan are altered in equine osteochondral fragmentation, cartilage impact injury, and full-thickness cartilage defect models. J Orthop Res 2020 Aug;38(8):1826-1835.
- Evrard L, Audigié F, Bertoni L, Jacquet S, Denoix JM, Busoni V. Low field magnetic resonance imaging of the equine distal interphalangeal joint: Comparison between weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions. PLoS One 2019;14(1):e0211101.
- Novakofski KD, Berg LC, Bronzini I, Bonnevie ED, Poland SG, Bonassar LJ, Fortier LA. Joint-dependent response to impact and implications for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015 Jul;23(7):1130-7.
- Giurazza G, Campi S, Hirschmann MT, Franceschetti E, Tanzilli A, Gregori P, Paciotti M, Zampogna B, Papalia R. Cartilage thickness can be accurately measured intraoperatively in total knee arthroplasty: A step further in calipered kinematic alignment. J Exp Orthop 2025 Jan;12(1):e70155.
- Etienne C, Houssaye A, Fagan MJ, Hutchinson JR. Estimation of the forces exerted on the limb long bones of a white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) using musculoskeletal modelling and simulation. J Anat 2024 Aug;245(2):240-257.
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