Evaluation of the effect of extracorporeal shock wave treatment on experimentally induced osteoarthritis in middle carpal joints of horses

Abstract

OBJECTIVE-To assess the clinical, biochemical, and histologic effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of horses with experimentally induced osteoarthritis (OA). ANIMALS-Twenty-four 2- to 3-year-old horses without evidence of lameness. PROCEDURES-OA was induced arthroscopically in 1 middle carpal joint of each horse. Fourteen days after induction of OA, horses were treated with a sham ESWT probe (placebo; n = 8), polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) administered IM every 4 days for 28 days as a positive control treatment (8), or ESWT administered on days 14 and 28 with a focused shock wave unit (8). Evaluations included clinical assessments of degree of lameness every 2 weeks and weekly synovial fluid analyses. Horses were euthanized 70 days after induction of OA, and gross pathologic and histologic examinations of cartilage and synovial membrane specimens were performed at necropsy. A generalized linear mixed model was used to compare outcomes among treatment groups. RESULTS-No adverse treatment-related events were detected in any horse. The degree of lameness in horses treated with ESWT improved significantly, compared with the degree of lameness in placebo- or PSGAG-treated horses. No disease-modifying effects were evident in results for synovial fluid, synovial membranes, or cartilage from the ESWT- or PSGAG-treated horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Although a disease-modifying effect of ESWT was not detected, the significant clinical effect of ESWT suggested that this modality should be considered for treatment of horses with OA in combination with another modality that does affect the disease process.

ESWT Enhances Expression of Pdia-3 which is a Key Factor of 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Rapid Membrane Signaling Pathway in Treatment of Early Osteoarthritis Knee

“…Several studies reported positive effects of ESWT in osteoarthritis of different joints in animals [37][38][39][40][41]. The exact mechanism of shockwave therapy was still unknown.…”

Effect of Nonpharmacological Therapies on Pain and Health Perception in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

“…It improved the rats' walking ability [23]. It signiicantly improved the lameness degree in horses [24].…”

“…It can treat such diseases as chronic tendinopathies, nonunion of long bone fracture, and early stage of avascular necrosis of the formal head [22]. Moreover, ESWT difused to the treatment of OA in animals [23,24]. It improved the rats' walking ability [23].…”

Next-generation Sequencing Identifies Articular Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Mirnas after ESWT on Early Osteoarthritis Knee

“…ESWT has shown effectiveness in many orthopedic disorders including soft tissue tendinopathy and non-union of long bone fractures [12,13]. In addition, many studies including ours reported positive effects of ESWT in various arthritic joints in animals [14][15][16][17][18]. Our previous studies demonstrated that ESWT is chondroprotective in the initiation of OA changes of the knee [19,20], and induces regression or retardation of established OA changes of the knee in rats [21].…”