Evaluation of age-related changes in the structure of the equine tarsometatarsal osteochondral unit.
Abstract: To investigate effects of age on thickness and morphologic characteristics of hyaline cartilage, calcified cartilage, total cartilage, and subchondral bone (SCB) in the equine tarsometatarsal joint. Methods: 23 tarsal joints from cadavers of 23 ponies (11 days to 25 years old); ponies were limited to pasture exercise and euthanatized for reasons not related to this study. Procedures-Tarsi were allocated into several age groups (11 days old [n = 3], 6 to 9 months old [4], 2 to 3 years old [3], 6 to 8 years old [4], 11 to 17 years old [6], and 20 to 25 years old [3]). Histologic examination and histomorphometric measurement of hyaline cartilage, calcified cartilage, total cartilage, and SCB were performed at medial and lateral sites. Results: A significant decrease was detected in thickness of hyaline cartilage and total cartilage with increasing age, but there was a significant increase in thickness of calcified cartilage and SCB with increasing age. Differences in chondrocyte and collagen fiber arrangement, tidemark, and osteochondral junction morphology were evident among age groups. Conclusions: These findings suggested that the various tissues of the osteochondral unit change in different ways with age. The response of each tissue may be related to relative response of the tissues to strains induced by pasture exercise but could have an influence on how the overall properties of the osteochondral unit change with age. The findings may also be suggestive of changes that develop prior to the onset of osteoarthritis.
Publication Date: 2009-01-06 PubMed ID: 19119946DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.70.1.30Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research investigates how age affects the thickness and structure of various components of the horse’s tarsometatarsal joint, including the hyaline cartilage, calcified cartilage, total cartilage, and subchondral bone. The study found that age-related changes vary across these tissues and could influence the joint’s overall properties.
Methodology
- The researchers collected 23 tarsal joints from the cadavers of 23 ponies that were aged from 11 days to 25 years. Note that the ponies were limited to pasture exercise and were euthanized due to reasons unrelated to this study.
- The tarsal joints were categorized into different age groups: 11 days old, 6 to 9 months old, 2 to 3 years old, 6 to 8 years old, 11 to 17 years old, and 20 to 25 years old.
- A histological examination and histomorphometric measurements were performed on the hyaline cartilage, calcified cartilage, total cartilage, and subchondral bone at medial and lateral sites.
Results
- A significant decrease in the thickness of the hyaline cartilage and total cartilage was observed with increasing age.
- Conversely, there was a significant increase in the thickness of the calcified cartilage and subchondral bone with increasing age.
- Changes in the arrangement of chondrocytes and collagen fibers, as well as the morphology of the tidemark and osteochondral junction, were noticeable across different age groups.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that the various tissues of the osteochondral unit undergo different changes with age. The way each tissue responds may be related to how they respond to strains caused by pasture exercise.
- This disparity in the response of tissues could influence how the overall properties of the osteochondral unit change with age.
- The results suggest that these age-related changes might be indicative of changes that develop before osteoarthritis symptoms appear.
Cite This Article
APA
Murray RC, Blunden TS, Branch MV, Tranquille CA, Dyson SJ, Parkin TD, Goodship AE.
(2009).
Evaluation of age-related changes in the structure of the equine tarsometatarsal osteochondral unit.
Am J Vet Res, 70(1), 30-36.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.70.1.30 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Centre for Equine Studies, The Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU, England.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Cartilage, Articular / anatomy & histology
- Cartilage, Articular / physiology
- Cartilage, Articular / ultrastructure
- Histocytochemistry / veterinary
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Horses / physiology
- Statistics, Nonparametric
- Tarsal Joints / anatomy & histology
- Tarsal Joints / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Rytky SJO, Huang L, Tanska P, Tiulpin A, Panfilov E, Herzog W, Korhonen RK, Saarakkala S, Finnilä MAJ. Automated analysis of rabbit knee calcified cartilage morphology using micro-computed tomography and deep learning. J Anat 2021 Aug;239(2):251-263.
- Pfeifer CG, Fisher MB, Saxena V, Kim M, Henning EA, Steinberg DA, Dodge GR, Mauck RL. Age-Dependent Subchondral Bone Remodeling and Cartilage Repair in a Minipig Defect Model. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2017 Nov;23(11):745-753.
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