Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Site- and exercise-related variation in structure and function of cartilage from equine distal metacarpal condyle.
Abstract: Determine (1) the site-associated response of articular cartilage of the equine distal metacarpal condyle to training at a young age as assessed by changes in indentation stiffness and alterations in cartilage structure and composition, and (2) relationships between indentation stiffness and indices of cartilage structure and composition. Methods: Experimental animals (n=6) were trained on a track (increasing exercise to 1km/day by 5 months); controls (n=6) were pasture-reared. Animals were euthanized at 18 months and four osteochondral samples were harvested per metacarpal condyle from dorsal-medial, dorsal-lateral, palmar-medial, and palmar-lateral aspects. Cartilage was analyzed for India ink staining (quantified as reflectance score (RS)), short-term indentation stiffness (sphere-ended, 0.4mm diameter), thickness, and biochemical composition. Results: Cartilage structural, biochemical and biomechanical properties varied markedly with site in the joint. Sites just medial and just lateral to the sagittal ridge showed signs of early degeneration, with relatively low RS, indentation stiffness, and collagen content, and relatively high water content. Effects of exercise and side (left vs right) were not detected for any measure. Overall, indentation stiffness correlated positively with RS and collagen content, and inversely with thickness and water content. Conclusions: Gentle exercise-imposed mechanical stimulation did not markedly affect articular cartilage function or structure. However, the marked site-associated variation suggests that biomechanical environment can initiate degenerative changes in immature cartilage during joint growth and maturation.
Publication Date: 2004-09-29 PubMed ID: 15450533DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2004.07.001Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Clinical Trial
- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
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 investigates whether the type and site of exercise can have a distinct effect on the structure and function of equine cartilage at a young age, and what connections exist between variations in cartilage composition, structure, and its stiffness. The study revealed that mechanical stimulation from light exercise did not prominently impact cartilage structure or function. Significant site-related variation, however, alludes to the possibility of biomechanical environments instigating deteriorative changes in immature cartilage as the joint grows and matures.
Research Methodology
- Understanding the effect of exercise on cartilage, investigators employed a test group of six animals that were trained on an evolving regimen, escalating to 1 kilometer per day within five months.
- The control group, also comprising of six animals, was rambled in the pastures.
- Following an 18-month period, the animals were euthanized and four osteochondral samples were collected from each metacarpal condyle.
- Analysis involved India ink staining, assessment of indentation stiffness, thickness, and biochemical composition of the cartilage.
Findings of the Study
- The structural, biochemical, and biomechanical properties of cartilage varied impressively according to the site within the joint.
- Areas adjacent to the medial and lateral regions of the sagittal ridge demonstrated early signs of degeneration, displaying reduced indentation stiffness, cartilage collagen content, and increased water content.
- The exercise effect and differences between the animals’ sides (left and right) were not significant for any of the measures.
- Indentation stiffness of cartilage displayed a positive correlation with India ink staining and collagen content, but inversely related to thickness and water content.
Primary Conclusions of the Study
- The imposed gentle mechanical stimulation from exercise had no significant impact on the structure or function of the articular cartilage.
- However, noticeable changes and variations in immature cartilage, due to biomechanical environment during joint growth and maturation, could possibly initiate degenerative shifts.
Cite This Article
APA
Nugent GE, Law AW, Wong EG, Temple MM, Bae WC, Chen AC, Kawcak CE, Sah RL.
(2004).
Site- and exercise-related variation in structure and function of cartilage from equine distal metacarpal condyle.
Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 12(10), 826-833.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2004.07.001 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Bioengineering and Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Body Water / metabolism
- Cartilage, Articular / anatomy & histology
- Cartilage, Articular / metabolism
- Cartilage, Articular / physiology
- Collagen / metabolism
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Horses / metabolism
- Horses / physiology
- Metacarpus / anatomy & histology
- Metacarpus / metabolism
- Metacarpus / physiology
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Principal Component Analysis
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Karchner JP, Yousefi F, Bitman SR, Darvish K, Pleshko N. Non-Destructive Spectroscopic Assessment of High and Low Weight Bearing Articular Cartilage Correlates with Mechanical Properties. Cartilage 2019 Oct;10(4):480-490.
- Gao J, Fang J, Gong H, Gao B. Morphological and Microstructural Alterations of the Articular Cartilage and Bones during Treadmill Exercises with Different Additional Weight-Bearing Levels. J Healthc Eng 2017;2017:8696921.
- Song JQ, Dong F, Li X, Xu CP, Cui Z, Jiang N, Jia JJ, Yu B. Effect of treadmill exercise timing on repair of full-thickness defects of articular cartilage by bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells: an experimental investigation in rats. PLoS One 2014;9(3):e90858.
- Lane JG, Healey RM, Chen AC, Sah RL, Amiel D. Can osteochondral grafting be augmented with microfracture in an extended-size lesion of articular cartilage?. Am J Sports Med 2010 Jul;38(7):1316-23.
- McCarty WJ, Pallante AL, Rone RJ, Bugbee WD, Sah RL. The proteoglycan metabolism of articular cartilage in joint-scale culture. Tissue Eng Part A 2010 May;16(5):1717-27.
- Firth EC. The response of bone, articular cartilage and tendon to exercise in the horse. J Anat 2006 Apr;208(4):513-26.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
