Evaluation of a single intra-articular injection of autologous protein solution for treatment of osteoarthritis in horses

Abstract

Intra-articular administration of APS can be considered an effective treatment option for equine osteoarthritis, with the potential for disease-modifying effects.

Equine Dental Pulp Connective Tissue Particles Reduced Lameness in Horses in a Controlled Clinical Trial

“…Forty lame horses [American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) lameness grades 2–5 (22); age range 2–18 years] with OA ( n  = 20), or with ST injury, either desmitis or tendonitis ( n  = 20), were assigned, by use of an online random number generator, 15 into either a treatment group ( n  = 20) or control group ( n  = 20) based on serial enrollment within OA or ST diseases. At day 0, the horses in treatment and control groups received an injection of dental pulp tissue particles (see text footnote 9) or control sterile buffered isotonic saline transport solution (see text footnote 11), respectively.…”

“…All clients with horses enrolled in the prospective, randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trial were simultaneously enrolled in a client assessment study of their horses’ status using a survey that corresponded to lameness and pain in our prior work (22). 16 Clients enrolled at the start of the study prospectively agreed to complete all forms at the times on the protocol, which was before assignment of their horse into the clinical trial and at days 21 and 45 after injection.…”

“…Evaluation of lameness was performed on the basis of a modification of the AAEP lameness scale (22) on enrollment and at days 0, 7, and 14 by one investigator (Alicia L. Bertone) unaware of group assignments. In a 30-m-long lameness examination area with a smooth, flat paved surface, lameness was graded with the horse being walked in one trip (30 ft back and forth—60 ft total), trotted in two trips with walking on the turns (to the left on the first trip and to the right on the second trip) and trotted in one trip after joint flexion in OA horses [30 s (lower limb) or 60 s (upper limb)] or after tendon/ligament pressure in ST horses (30 s).…”

“…In our study, we used this novel viable dental pulp tissue particulate injectable solution (see text footnote 9) that is a minimally manipulated, mechanically processed, unexpanded viable connective tissue targeted for allogeneic use in equine musculoskeletal painful conditions that have reportedly responded to cell-based therapies in horses, specifically joint, tendon, and ligament injury (7, 22, 26–31). We predicted that dental pulp, minimally and mechanically processed, used as an injectable treatment for painful ST injury (tendonitis or desmitis) or OA, would affect those events associated with tissue injury (pain and inflammation) and result in less lameness.…”

“…Our hypothesis was that injection of test article (see text footnote 9) would have significant improvements in outcomes related to lameness (scores and force plate parameters), pain (joint flexion, lesion pressure), or inflammation (circumference, scores) as compared to an injection of a similar volume of the carrier vehicle without dental pulp particles 10 . Based on prior publications it was anticipated that, if there was an influence, this could be proven within 2 weeks (22). Additionally and simultaneously, we performed a client assessment of comfort using a validated survey in a prospective manner such that baseline scores allowed each horse to serve as its own control.…”