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Equine traumatic joint disease

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease in horses and a survey suggested that 60% of lameness problems are related to OA (Kim et al., 2003). Joint pain and loss of mobility due to OA are common causes of poor performance and early retirement in equine athletes (Todhunter and Lust, 1992). Traumatic injury is considered a common cause of OA and may arise from a single event leading to a clearly definable joint injury or it may be the result of repetitive, traumatic insults such as the stresses suffered during racing and training (McIlwraith CW 1996).

Traumatic joint disease includes synovitis, capsulitis, articular cartilage damage, ligament damage and OA

  • Synovitis – Inflammation of the synovial membrane,
  • Capsulitis – inflammation of the fibrous joint capsule,
  • Articular cartilage and bone fragmentation or fracture,
  • Ligamentous tearing and
  • Osteoarthritis – osteoarthritis is the end result of severe injuries and inadequately treated injuries. It is represented by progressive loss of articular cartilage (McIlwraith, 2011).

Synovitis and capsulitis are the consequence of the trauma suffered by athletic horses during routine training and leads to swelling and pain. If left untreated, the inflammatory mediators released (proteinases, prostaglandins, cytokines and free radicals) in these conditions can contribute to OA, also known as degenerative joint disease. OA is a progressive disease of synovial joints, characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage and clinically associated with pain and lameness. OA is among the most common cause of lameness in horses and is a disease with far reaching economic and welfare implications.

 

Joint trauma and the arthritis cycle

The environmental effect of trauma on the equine joint may initiate an 'arthritis cycle' where metabolic imbalance creates a cycle of negative feedback. The 'arthritis cycle' is discussed further in 'What is the arthritis cycle?'.

The pathogenic pathways of equine traumatic joint disease are on the most part the same as those in OA and should traumatic joint disease not be properly treated it will progress along the spectrum to osteoarthritis. Once the arthritis cycle begins, due to its cyclic nature and continual degradation, joint failure will become more frequent leading to additional and more frequent lameness.

Without proper treatment of equine traumatic joint disease it will progress unchecked. A multi-modal approach to these problems is required with a program that prevents and addresses the 'arthritis cycle' and the underlying metabolic processes involved.

 

REFERENCES

Kim DY, Taylora HW, Mooreb RM, Paulsena DB and Cho DY (2003). Articular chondrocyte apoptosis in equine osteoarthritis Vet J; 166(1): 52-57

McIlwraith CW (1996) In: McIlwraith CW and Trotter GW editors. Joint Disease in the Horse. WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia: 40-70

McIlwraith CW (2011) Traumatic joint injuries and disease. Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Colorado State University. www.equineortho.colostate.edu/questions/tjd.html Accessed 17 February 2011

Todhunter RJ and Lust G. (1992) In Auer JA, editor. Equine Surgery. WB Saunders Company Ltd, Philadelphia,: 844-866 and Fubini SL et al. (1999) Can J Vet Res; 63:253-260.