Intra-articular treatment of arthritis in race-horses with sodium hyaluronate.
Abstract: Forty-five race-horses with arthritis of non-in-fectious type in 54 joints were treated with sodium hyaluronate intra-articularly. All joints had previously been treated without lasting success by conventional methods, such as firing, blistering or intraarticular injection of cortisone. In most cases only 1 injection of 2 ml (20 mg) sodium hyaluronate was needed. To avoid subjective evaluation, the effects of the treatment were based on the joint’s capacity of withstanding extreme stress, which means that the horse should be able to train and race again. The treatment was concentrated on the carpal and fetlock joints. Of the 54 joints treated only 5 did not show any improvement. Thirty-eight were free from lameness — 32 of them returned to the race-track. The observation period was at least 1 year. No side effects were observed.
Publication Date: 1976-01-01 PubMed ID: 1015471PubMed Central: PMC8383961DOI: 10.1186/BF03547893Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
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.
The research focuses on testing the effectiveness of sodium hyaluronate injections as a treatment for non-infectious arthritis in racehorses. The study found that this method was largely successful in alleviating symptoms of arthritis and enabling the horses to return to racing with little to no observable side effects.
Objective and Methodology of the Research
- The study was conducted on forty-five racehorses suffering from non-infectious arthritis in 54 joints.
- The horses had previously undergone conventional treatments including firing, blistering, and cortisone injection without any lasting improvements.
- The researchers administered sodium hyaluronate injections into the affected joints.
- The primary measure of treatment effectiveness was the joint’s ability to withstand extreme stress, which translates to the horse’s ability to train and race again.
Results of the Study
- The majority of the joints, in most cases, required only one injection of sodium hyaluronate.
- Out of the 54 treated joints, 38 were free from lameness post-treatment, and only 5 did not show any improvement.
- Notably, 32 out of 38 joints free from lameness belonged to horses that were able to return to racing.
- The observation period for these results was at least one year, providing a relatively long-term view of the treatment’s effectiveness.
Conclusion and Implications
- The study concluded that sodium hyaluronate injections were a successful treatment strategy for dealing with non-infectious arthritis in racehorses.
- The significant improvement in most treated joints and the ability of many horses to return to racing indicates the potential benefits of this treatment.
- Furthermore, the lack of observed side effects suggests that it might be a safer alternative to conventional methods.
- This research forms a foundation for further exploration into the use of sodium hyaluronate as a treatment for non-infectious arthritis in different animal species and possibly human medicine as well.
Cite This Article
APA
Asheim A, Lindblad G.
(1976).
Intra-articular treatment of arthritis in race-horses with sodium hyaluronate.
Acta Vet Scand, 17(4), 379-394.
https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547893 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arthritis / drug therapy
- Arthritis / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Hyaluronic Acid / administration & dosage
- Hyaluronic Acid / therapeutic use
- Injections, Intra-Articular
References
This article includes 6 references
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- Butler J, Rydell NW, Balazs EA. Hyaluronic acid in synovial fluid. VI. Effect of intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid on the clinical symptoms of arthritis in track horses.. Acta Vet Scand 1970;11(2):139-55.
- Salter RB, Gross A, Hall JH. Hydrocortisone arthropathy--an experimental investigation.. Can Med Assoc J 1967 Aug 19;97(8):374-7.
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Gupta RC, Lall R, Srivastava A, Sinha A. Hyaluronic Acid: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Trajectory.. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:192.
- Niemelä TM, Tulamo RM, Aaltonen K, Sankari SM, Hielm-Björkman AK. Changes in biomarkers in equine synovial fluid two weeks after intra-articular hyaluronan treatment: a randomised double-blind clinical trial.. BMC Vet Res 2018 Jun 15;14(1):186.
- Niemelä TM, Tulamo RM, Hielm-Björkman AK. A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study on intra-articular hyaluronan treatment in equine lameness originating from the metacarpophalangeal joint.. BMC Vet Res 2016 Mar 23;12:60.
- Jiang D, Liang J, Noble PW. Hyaluronan as an immune regulator in human diseases.. Physiol Rev 2011 Jan;91(1):221-64.
- Axelsson M, Eksell P, Ronéus B, Broström H, Häggström J, Carlsten J. Relationship between hind limb lameness and radiographic signs of bone spavin in Icelandic horses in Sweden.. Acta Vet Scand 1998;39(3):349-57.
- Lindholm A, Ronéus B, Lindblad G, Jones B. Hyaluronan turnover in the synovial fluid in metacarpophalangeal--and middle carpal joints in standardbred horses.. Acta Vet Scand 1996;37(2):147-51.
- Håkansson L, Hällgren R, Venge P. Regulation of granulocyte function by hyaluronic acid. In vitro and in vivo effects on phagocytosis, locomotion, and metabolism.. J Clin Invest 1980 Aug;66(2):298-305.
- Dahl LB, Dahl IM, Engström-Laurent A, Granath K. Concentration and molecular weight of sodium hyaluronate in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthropathies.. Ann Rheum Dis 1985 Dec;44(12):817-22.
- Smith MM, Ghosh P. The synthesis of hyaluronic acid by human synovial fibroblasts is influenced by the nature of the hyaluronate in the extracellular environment.. Rheumatol Int 1987;7(3):113-22.
- Brennan JJ, Aherne FX, Nakano T. Effects of glycosaminoglycan polysulfate treatment on soundness, hyaluronic acid content of synovial fluid and proteoglycan aggregate in articular cartilage of lame boars.. Can J Vet Res 1987 Jul;51(3):394-8.
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