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PloS one2024; 19(9); e0308304; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308304

Nineteen years of radiographic screening: Impact of sepsis and evolution of osteochondrosis dissecans prevalence in Walloon sport horses born between 2004 and 2022.

Abstract: Osteochondrosis dissecans is a particularly common developmental orthopaedic disorder in equines. Among its causes, the hereditary component is no longer a matter of debate, and, for several decades, the various studbooks for sport horses have been selecting stallions in order to limit the prevalence of this condition in the population. However, to our knowledge, no study has evaluated changes in the prevalence of osteochondrosis dissecans over time through longitudinal monitoring of a population of sport horses. The study presented here is part of a large screening programme for developmental orthopaedic pathologies in Wallonia (Belgium) and assessed the presence of these lesions over a period of 19 years in the Walloon sport horse population according to constant and standardised sampling and diagnostic criteria. The effects of breeding conditions and infection in foals were also assessed by means of questionnaires. The results showed no significant change in the prevalence of osteochondrosis dissecans in a population of 1099 individuals born between 2004 and 2022. Furthermore, individuals who had suffered from sepsis during their growing period were very significantly predisposed (p < 0.001) to the development of osteochondrosis dissecans compared to a control group, with respectively 14/21 (67%) and 103/364 (28%) of individuals affected. This study suggests that the selection programmes applied to the population studied are not sufficiently strong or adapted to reduce the prevalence of osteochondrosis dissecans in the population over a period of 19 years. Moreover, this study confirms that foals with sepsis and concurrent osteochondrosis dissecans lesions should not necessarily be excluded from breeding programmes on this basis.
Copyright: © 2024 Van Cauter et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Publication Date: 2024-09-10 PubMed ID: 39255258PubMed Central: PMC11386463DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308304Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 study analyzed the prevalence of a developmental disorder called osteochondrosis dissecans in Walloon sport horses over 19 years, from 2004 to 2022, and found that there was no significant change. They also found that those horses that suffered from sepsis during their growth period were more likely to develop the disorder.

Overview and Objective of the Research

  • The primary focus of this research was osteochondrosis dissecans, a common orthopaedic complication in horses.
  • The study aimed to monitor and examine the prevalence of this disorder over a 19-year period (2004 to 2022) in Walloon sport horses.
  • Another part of the study’s goal was to assess and understand the impact of sepsis and breeding conditions through a series of questionnaires.

Methodology and Population

  • The study spanned 19 years and covered the Walloon sport horse population within Wallonia, Belgium.
  • The sampling and diagnostic criteria applied during the screening were consistent and standardized.
  • A total of 1099 individual horses, born between 2004 and 2022, were included in the study.

Findings and Conclusions

  • The research found no major change in the prevalence of osteochondrosis dissecans in the studied population over the 19-year period.
  • Horses that experienced sepsis during their growth stage were significantly more prone to developing osteochondrosis dissecans. The study found this correlation by comparing a control group with the sepsis-affected group; 67% of sepsis-affected individuals demonstrating osteochondrosis dissecans compared to 28% in the control group.
  • The research implied that existing selection programs, aimed at reducing the disorder’s prevalence, are not sufficiently strong or well-adapted.
  • It is also mentioned that horses with both sepsis and concurrent osteochondrosis dissecans should not be automatically disqualified from breeding programs.

Cite This Article

APA
Van Cauter R, Caudron I, Lejeune JP, Rousset A, Serteyn D. (2024). Nineteen years of radiographic screening: Impact of sepsis and evolution of osteochondrosis dissecans prevalence in Walloon sport horses born between 2004 and 2022. PLoS One, 19(9), e0308304. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308304

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 19
Issue: 9
Pages: e0308304
PII: e0308304

Researcher Affiliations

Van Cauter, Raphaël
  • Centre Européen du Cheval, Mont-le-Soie, Vielsalm, Belgium.
  • Département des Sciences Cliniques des Équidés, Chirurgie et Orthopédie, FARAH, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Caudron, Isabelle
  • Centre Européen du Cheval, Mont-le-Soie, Vielsalm, Belgium.
  • Département des Sciences Cliniques des Équidés, Chirurgie et Orthopédie, FARAH, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Lejeune, Jean-Philippe
  • Centre Européen du Cheval, Mont-le-Soie, Vielsalm, Belgium.
  • Département des Sciences Cliniques des Équidés, Chirurgie et Orthopédie, FARAH, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Rousset, Alycia
  • Centre Européen du Cheval, Mont-le-Soie, Vielsalm, Belgium.
Serteyn, Didier
  • Centre Européen du Cheval, Mont-le-Soie, Vielsalm, Belgium.
  • Département des Sciences Cliniques des Équidés, Chirurgie et Orthopédie, FARAH, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Male
  • Sepsis / epidemiology
  • Sepsis / veterinary
  • Female
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / epidemiology
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / veterinary
  • Osteochondritis Dissecans / diagnostic imaging
  • Radiography
  • Belgium / epidemiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Martinez-Saez L, Marín-García PJ, Llobat ML. Osteochondrosis in horses: An overview of genetic and other factors. Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):6-19.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14518pubmed: 40302410google scholar: lookup
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