Biochemical and biomechanical characterisation of equine cervical facet joint cartilage

O’Leary, Siobhan; White, Jamie; Hu, Jerry C.; Athanasiou, K. A.

doi:10.1111/evj.12845

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…Research on the biomechanics of these joints has traditionally focused on their kinematics 29,30 and loading patterns. 31,32 Additionally, load-bearing properties of the facet and SI joints' articular cartilage, such as Young's modulus and aggregate modulus, have been experimentally measured 23,[33][34][35][36] and subsequently used in computational models. 37,38 However, despite the importance of low friction articulation to joint mechanics, the tribological properties (e.g., coefficient of friction, local surface roughness, global roughness, and lubricin localization) of spinal articular cartilage are severely understudied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Tribological Comparison of Facet Joint, Sacroiliac Joint, and Knee Cartilage in the Yucatan Minipig

Nordberg

Espinosa

et al. 2021

CARTILAGE

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Objective Pathology of the facet and sacroiliac (SI) joints contributes to 15% to 45% and 10% to 27% of lower back pain cases, respectively. Although tissue engineering may offer novel treatment options to patients suffering from cartilage degeneration in these joints, the tribological characteristics of the facet and SI joints have not been studied in either the human or relevant large animal models, which hinders the development of joint-specific cartilage implants. Design Cartilage was isolated from the knee, cervical facet, thoracic facet, lumbar facet, and SI joints of 6 skeletally mature Yucatan minipigs ( Sus scrofa). Tribological characteristics were assessed via coefficient of friction testing, interferometry, and immunohistochemistry for lubricin organization. Results Compared with the knee, the coefficient of friction was higher by 43% in the cervical facet, 77% in the thoracic facet, 37% in the lumbar facet, and 28% in the SI joint. Likewise, topographical features of the facet and SI joints varied significantly, ranging from a 114% to 384% increase and a 48% to 107% increase in global and local surface roughness measures, respectively, compared with the knee. Additionally, the amount of lubricin in the SI joint was substantially greater than in the knee. Statistical correlations among the various tribological parameters revealed that there was a significant correlation between local roughness and coefficient of friction, but not global roughness or the presence of lubricin. Conclusion These location-specific tribological characteristics of the articular cartilages of the spine will need to be taken into consideration during the development of physiologically relevant, functional, and durable tissue-engineered replacements for these joints.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Tribological Comparison of Facet Joint, Sacroiliac Joint, and Knee Cartilage in the Yucatan Minipig

Nordberg

Espinosa

et al. 2021

CARTILAGE

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“…Macropod, Equine and Cammelid species have been proposed for IVD studies and these represent interesting developments. 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 94 , 95 , 96 The equine IVD is anatomically quite different from other species in having a ball and cup type structure. The kangaroo tail IVD is unique in being weight‐bearing and these and other macropdods are the only animals with five appendages.…”

Section: New Large Animal Models Of Ivddmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The normal and degenerate equine spine has undergone radiographic and MRI analyses. 22 , 94 , 95 Biochemical and biomechanical studies have also examined cervical facet joint cartilage, 96 and IVD tissues 13 , 24 in normal IVDs and those which have undergone prolapse and diskospondylitis. 12 , 17 The morphology and mobility of normal and prolapsed equine IVDs have also been examined.…”

Section: Equine Spinal Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An update on animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration and low back pain: Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to improve research analysis and development of prospective therapeutics

et al. 2023

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Animal models have been invaluable in the identification of molecular events occurring in and contributing to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and important therapeutic targets have been identified. Some outstanding animal models (murine, ovine, chondrodystrophoid canine) have been identified with their own strengths and weaknesses. The llama/alpaca, horse and kangaroo have emerged as new large species for IVD studies, and only time will tell if they will surpass the utility of existing models. The complexity of IVD degeneration poses difficulties in the selection of the most appropriate molecular target of many potential candidates, to focus on in the formulation of strategies to effect disc repair and regeneration. It may well be that many therapeutic objectives should be targeted simultaneously to effect a favorable outcome in human IVD degeneration. Use of animal models in isolation will not allow resolution of this complex issue and a paradigm shift and adoption of new methodologies is required to provide the next step forward in the determination of an effective repairative strategy for the IVD. AI has improved the accuracy and assessment of spinal imaging supporting clinical diagnostics and research efforts to better understand IVD degeneration and its treatment. Implementation of AI in the evaluation of histology data has improved the usefulness of a popular murine IVD model and could also be used in an ovine histopathological grading scheme that has been used to quantify degenerative IVD changes and stem cell mediated regeneration. These models are also attractive candidates for the evaluation of novel anti‐oxidant compounds that counter inflammatory conditions in degenerate IVDs and promote IVD regeneration. Some of these compounds also have pain‐relieving properties. AI has facilitated development of facial recognition pain assessment in animal IVD models offering the possibility of correlating the potential pain alleviating properties of some of these compounds with IVD regeneration.

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“…Properties of equine articular cartilage in health have been most extensively characterized in the metacarpophalangeal joint [10e19], however, limited studies have been conducted in other joints such as the carpus [20e25], cervical facet [26], and stifle [27]. To date, no studies have been performed directly comparing neonatal and adult articular cartilage from the stifle on a site-bysite basis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Adult and Neonatal Articular Cartilage From the Equine Stifle

White

Salinas

Link

et al. 2021

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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A significant portion of equine lameness is localized to the stifle joint. Effective cartilage repair strategies are largely lacking, however, recent advances in surgical techniques, biomaterials, and cellular therapeutics have broadened the clinical strategies of cartilage repair. To date, no studies have been performed directly comparing neonatal and adult articular cartilage from the stifle across multiple sites. An understanding of the differences in properties between the therapeutic target cartilage (i.e., adult cartilage) as well as potential donor cartilage (i.e., neonatal cartilage) could aid in selection of optimal harvest sites within a donor joint as well as evaluation of the success of the grafted cells or tissues within the host. Given the dearth of characterization studies of the equine stifle joint, and in particular neonatal stifle cartilage, the goal of this study was to measure properties of both potential source tissue and host tissue. Articular cartilage of the distal femur and patella (P) was assessed in regards to two specific factors, age of the animal and specific site within the joint. Two age groups were considered: neonatal (<1 week) and adult (4e14 years). Cartilage samples were harvested from 17 sites across the distal femur and patella. It was hypothesized that properties would vary significantly between neonatal and adult horses as well as within age groups on a site-by-site basis. Adult thickness varied by site. With the exception of water content, there were no significant biochemical differences among sites within regions of the distal femur (condyles and trochlea) and the patella in either the adult or neonate. Neonatal cartilage had a significantly higher water content than adult. Surprisingly, biochemical measurements of cellularity did not differ significantly between neonatal and adult, however, adult cartilage had greater variance in cellularity than neonatal. Overall, there were no significant differences between neonatal and adult glycosaminoglycan content. Collagen per wet weight was found to be significantly higher in adult cartilage than neonatal when averaged across all levels. In terms of biomechanical properties, aggregate modulus varied significantly across the condyles of adult cartilage but not the neonate. Neonatal cartilage was significantly less permeable, and the Young's modulus of neonatal cartilage was significantly higher than the adult. The tensile strength did not vary in a statistically significant manner between age groups. An understanding of morphological, histological, biochemical, and biomechanical properties enhances the understanding of cartilage tissue physiology and structure-function relationships. This study revealed important differences in biomechanical and biochemical properties among the 17 sites and among the six joint regions, as well as age-related differences between neonatal and adult cartilage. These location and age-related variations are informative toward determining the donor tissue harvest site.

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Biochemical and biomechanical characterisation of equine cervical facet joint cartilage

Abstract: This is the first study to report the properties of equine cervical facet joint cartilage and may serve as the foundation for the development of future tissue-engineered replacements as well as other treatment strategies.

Cited by 5 publications

References 48 publications

A Tribological Comparison of Facet Joint, Sacroiliac Joint, and Knee Cartilage in the Yucatan Minipig

A Tribological Comparison of Facet Joint, Sacroiliac Joint, and Knee Cartilage in the Yucatan Minipig

An update on animal models of intervertebral disc degeneration and low back pain: Exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to improve research analysis and development of prospective therapeutics

Characterization of Adult and Neonatal Articular Cartilage From the Equine Stifle

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