Non-invasive electroarthrography measures cartilage in live horses and correlates to direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight bearing regions of equine metacarpophalangeal joints.
Abstract: To perform non-invasive Electroarthrography (EAG) on live horses and establish relationships between EAG and direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight bearing areas of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint. Methods: EAG was performed bilaterally on the metacarpophalangeal joints of live horses (n = 3). Separate experiments used metacarpophalangeal joint explants (n = 11) to measure EAG obtained during simulated loading followed by direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials on joint surfaces using the Arthro-BST probe. Joints were assigned to relatively normal (n = 5) and mildly degraded (n = 6) groups based on histological scoring of Safranin-O/Fast Green stained sections. Results: EAG, involving application of electrodes to skin surrounding the joint and repeated weight shifting, was well-tolerated in live horses. One pair of distal forelimbs were available for analogous ex vivo EAG testing and measurements were strongly correlated to in vivo EAG measurements obtained on the same joints (r = 0.804, p = 0.016, n = 8). Both indirect (EAG) and direct (Arthro-BST) measurements of cartilage streaming potentials distinguished between normal and mildly degraded cartilage with statistically significant differences at 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 electrodes during simulated standing and walking, respectively. Strong and moderate correlations for weight bearing regions on the dorsal phalanx and central metacarpus were detected during both standing and walking. At the metacarpus/sesamoid interface a moderate correlation occurred during walking. Conclusions: Non-invasive EAG was used successfully in a clinical scenario and correlated to direct measurements of streaming potentials in weight bearing cartilage. These data support the potential of EAG to contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of degenerative joint diseases.
Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2024-04-26 PubMed ID: 38679283DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.04.007Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article presents a study on the use of non-invasive Electroarthrography (EAG) technique to measure cartilage in live horses. The study finds a correlation between the EAG readings and the direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight-bearing regions of equine metacarpophalangeal joints, which may be beneficial in diagnosing and treating degenerative joint diseases.
Methods
- The researchers performed non-invasive EAG bilaterally on the metacarpophalangeal joints of live horses.
- Separate experiments were performed using metacarpophalangeal joint explants to measure the EAG obtained during simulated loading.
- Direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials on joint surfaces were taken using the Arthro-BST probe and compared with the EAG readings.
- The joints were broken down into two groups, relatively normal and mildly degraded, according to their histological scores based on Safranin-O/Fast Green stained sections.
Results
- Live horses tolerated the application of electrodes to the skin surrounding the joint and repetitive weight shifting as part of the EAG procedure well.
- The measurements obtained from ex vivo EAG testing on a pair of distal forelimbs showed a strong correlation with in vivo EAG measurements taken on the same joints, signifying the reliability of EAG.
- Both indirect EAG and direct Arthro-BST measurements could differentiate between normal and mildly degraded cartilage, with statistically significant differences noted at several points during simulated standing and walking.
- Strong and moderate correlations were observed for weight-bearing regions on the dorsal phalanx and central metacarpus during both simulated standing and walking.
- A moderate correlation was noted at the metacarpus/sesamoid interface during simulated walking.
Conclusions
- The study propounds that non-invasive EAG can be effectively used in clinical scenarios and shows correlation with direct measurements of streaming potentials in weight-bearing cartilage in horses.
- This discovery could help EAG play an instrumental role in diagnosing and treating degenerative joint diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Changoor A, Garon M, Quenneville E, Savard P, Buschmann MD, Hurtig MB.
(2024).
Non-invasive electroarthrography measures cartilage in live horses and correlates to direct measurements of cartilage streaming potentials in weight bearing regions of equine metacarpophalangeal joints.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 32(10), 1235-1244.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2024.04.007 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Surgery, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: changoor@lunenfeld.ca.
- Biomomentum Inc., Laval, Q, Canada.
- Biomomentum Inc., Laval, Q, Canada.
- Biomedical and Electrical Engineering, École Polytechnique, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- Department of Bioengineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, United States.
- Comparative Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Studies, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Cartilage, Articular / diagnostic imaging
- Cartilage, Articular / physiology
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint / diagnostic imaging
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint / physiology
- Metacarpophalangeal Joint / physiopathology
- Weight-Bearing / physiology
- Arthrography / methods
- Forelimb / physiology
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of Competing Interest MG and EQ are the owners of Biomomentum Inc.
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