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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Development of an equine groove model to induce metacarpopha...
PloS one2015; 10(2); e0115089; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115089

Development of an equine groove model to induce metacarpophalangeal osteoarthritis: a pilot study on 6 horses.

Abstract: The aim of this work was to develop an equine metacarpophalangeal joint model that induces osteoarthritis that is not primarily mediated by instability or inflammation. The study involved six Standardbred horses. Standardized cartilage surface damage or "grooves" were created arthroscopically on the distal dorsal aspect of the lateral and medial metacarpal condyles of a randomly chosen limb. The contralateral limb was sham operated. After 2 weeks of stall rest, horses were trotted 30 minutes every other day for 8 weeks, then evaluated for lameness and radiographed. Synovial fluid was analyzed for cytology and biomarkers. At 10 weeks post-surgery, horses were euthanized for macroscopic and histologic joint evaluation. Arthroscopic grooving allowed precise and identical damage to the cartilage of all animals. Under the controlled exercise regime, this osteoarthritis groove model displayed significant radiographic, macroscopic, and microscopic degenerative and reactive changes. Histology demonstrated consistent surgically induced grooves limited to non-calcified cartilage and accompanied by secondary adjacent cartilage lesions, chondrocyte necrosis, chondrocyte clusters, cartilage matrix softening, fissuring, mild subchondral bone inflammation, edema, and osteoblastic margination. Synovial fluid biochemistry and cytology demonstrated significantly elevated total protein without an increase in prostaglandin E2, neutrophils, or chondrocytes. This equine metacarpophalangeal groove model demonstrated that standardized non-calcified cartilage damage accompanied by exercise triggered altered osteochondral morphology and cartilage degeneration with minimal or inefficient repair and little inflammatory response. This model, if validated, would allow for assessment of disease processes and the effects of therapy.
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Publication Date: 2015-02-13 PubMed ID: 25680102PubMed Central: PMC4332493DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115089Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper describes a pilot study on six horses to develop a model that could induce osteoarthritis in the horse’s metacarpophalangeal joint without causing instability or inflammation. The researchers achieved this by performing arthroscopic surgery to create standardized damage to the cartilage in a randomly chosen limb of the horses, and then observed the subsequent degeneration and reaction over a period of 10 weeks.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers used six Standardbred horses in their study.
  • Arthroscopic surgery was performed on a randomly chosen limb of each horse, creating standardized damage to the cartilage surface or “grooves.”
  • The contralateral limb was operated sham, serving as a control.
  • The horses were then placed on a controlled exercise regime of trotting 30 minutes every other day for 8 weeks.
  • At intervals, the horses were evaluated for lameness and x-rayed, and their synovial fluid was analyzed for cytology and biomarkers.

Findings

  • Using arthroscopy allowed the researchers to create the exact level of damage to the cartilage in all the animals.
  • The osteoarthritis groove model demonstrated significant degenerative and reactive changes under the controlled exercise regime, both radiographically and macroscopically.
  • Specific histological changes observed included surgically induced grooves confined to non-calcified cartilage, secondary adjacent cartilage lesions, chondrocyte necrosis and clustering, matrix softening, fissuring, mild subchondral bone inflammation, and osteoblastic margination.
  • Synovial fluid biochemistry and cytology showed significantly elevated total protein, but without an increase in prostaglandin E2, neutrophils, or chondrocytes, pointing to minimal inflammation.

Conclusion

  • The researchers concluded that this horse metacarpophalangeal groove model successfully showed that standardized non-calcified cartilage damage accompanied by exercise triggers cartilage degeneration and alters osteochondral morphology.
  • Crucially, this degeneration was found to occur with little inflammation and minimal or inefficient repair.
  • Upon further validation, this model could prove useful in assessing disease processes and the effects of therapy.

Cite This Article

APA
Maninchedda U, Lepage OM, Gangl M, Hilairet S, Remandet B, Meot F, Penarier G, Segard E, Cortez P, Jorgensen C, Steinberg R. (2015). Development of an equine groove model to induce metacarpophalangeal osteoarthritis: a pilot study on 6 horses. PLoS One, 10(2), e0115089. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0115089

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Pages: e0115089
PII: e0115089

Researcher Affiliations

Maninchedda, Ugo
  • Equine Research Centre, University of Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, GREMERES-ICE, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
Lepage, Olivier M
  • Equine Research Centre, University of Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, GREMERES-ICE, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
Gangl, Monika
  • Equine Research Centre, University of Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, GREMERES-ICE, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
Hilairet, Sandrine
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.
Remandet, Bernard
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.
Meot, Francoise
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.
Penarier, Geraldine
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.
Segard, Emilie
  • Equine Research Centre, University of Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, GREMERES-ICE, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
Cortez, Pierre
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.
Jorgensen, Christian
  • Clinical unit for osteoarticular diseases, CHU Lapeyronie University Hospital, Montpellier, France.
Steinberg, Régis
  • Exploratory Unit, Sanofi-aventis Recherche, Montpellier, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Arthroscopy
  • Cartilage, Articular / diagnostic imaging
  • Cartilage, Articular / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Lameness, Animal
  • Male
  • Metacarpophalangeal Joint / diagnostic imaging
  • Metacarpophalangeal Joint / pathology
  • Osteoarthritis / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteoarthritis / pathology
  • Osteoarthritis / surgery
  • Pilot Projects
  • Radiography
  • Synovial Fluid / diagnostic imaging

Conflict of Interest Statement

SH, BR, FM, GP, PC, RS are employed by a commercial company Sanofi-aventis Recherche. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

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