RADIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF LAMENESS IN AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (<i>LOXODONTA AFRICANA</i>)

Hittmair, K.; Vielgrader, Hanna

doi:10.1111/j.1740-8261.2000.tb01879.x

Cited by 34 publications

(35 citation statements)

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“…Captive adult elephants often suffer from arthritis and degenerative joint diseases (Ruthe, 1961;Salzert, 1972;Hittmair and Vielgrader, 2000;Forstenpointner et al, 2001;Hittmair et al, 2001). Hard surfaces such as concrete which produce a damp and cold environment, wet and muddy conditions, as well as restricted movement are reported to be the major causes of these problems (Schmidt, 1986;Rü edi, 1995;Hittmair and Vielgrader, 2000). Loss of proteoglycans and collagen damage are the first characteristics of osteoarthritis (Freeman, 1999;Bank et al, 2000;DeGroot et al, 2004).…”

Section: Normal Knee Joint Cartilage Of the Elephant Versus Arthriticmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…As in humans (DeGroot et al, 2004), the incidence of osteoarthritis increases with age. Captive adult elephants often suffer from arthritis and degenerative joint diseases (Ruthe, 1961;Salzert, 1972;Hittmair and Vielgrader, 2000;Forstenpointner et al, 2001;Hittmair et al, 2001). Hard surfaces such as concrete which produce a damp and cold environment, wet and muddy conditions, as well as restricted movement are reported to be the major causes of these problems (Schmidt, 1986;Rü edi, 1995;Hittmair and Vielgrader, 2000).…”

Section: Normal Knee Joint Cartilage Of the Elephant Versus Arthriticmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Therefore, correct interpretation of both morphology and composition of articular cartilage requires in-depth knowledge of joint morphology. Surprisingly, there is no information on the morphology of articular cartilage in the elephant, although in elephants of higher age, disorders of the locomotory apparatus including osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease or arthrosis frequently occur (Ruthe, 1961;Salzert, 1972;Hittmair and Vielgrader, 2000;Forstenpointner et al, 2001;Hittmair et al, 2001;Weissengruber et al, 2006).…”

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confidence: 96%

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Articular cartilage in the knee joint of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach 1797

Egger

Witter

Weissengruber

et al. 2007

Journal of Morphology

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Knee joints of one adult and three juvenile African elephants were dissected. The specific features of the articular cartilage with particular reference to matrix components were studied by light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The elephant knee joint cartilage contains an unusually low concentration of proteoglycans resulting in rather eosinophilic staining properties of the matrix. The very thick collagen fibers of the cartilage possibly represent collagen I. Except for the different thickness of cartilage at the weight-bearing surfaces of femur (approximately 6.7 mm) and tibia (approximately 11.2 mm) in juvenile elephants, light and electron microscopy did not reveal distinct topographical differences in cartilage structure, perhaps because of the high congruency of the articulating surfaces and resulting uniform load distribution in the knee. The number of cell profiles per section area of both femoral (approximately 950 cell profiles/mm(2)) and tibial cartilage (approximately 898 cell profiles/mm(2)) was low, indicating excessive matrix production by the chondrocytes during cartilage development. These unique properties could be a result of the enormous compressive load resting on the elephant knee. Maintenance of the equilibrium between biological function and resistance to compression seems to be crucial in the elephant knee joint cartilage. Any disturbance that interferes with this equilibrium appears to lead to arthrotic alterations, as particularly seen in captive elephants.

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Section: Normal Knee Joint Cartilage Of the Elephant Versus Arthriticmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Normal Knee Joint Cartilage Of the Elephant Versus Arthriticmentioning

confidence: 96%

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confidence: 96%

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Articular cartilage in the knee joint of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach 1797

Egger

Witter

Weissengruber

et al. 2007

Journal of Morphology

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“…5,6 The disease often affects proximal limb joints such as the hip, shoulder, and stifle, which are difficult or impossible to radiograph successfully. 5 Hence, diagnosis is often made based upon subjective assessments of gait and limb mobility, alterations of which are neither sensitive nor specific signs of OA.…”

Section: Brief Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

ANALYSIS OF A COLLAGEN II DEGRADATION PROTEIN C2C AND A COLLAGEN II FORMATION PROTEIN CP II IN SERUM OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)

Kilgallon¹,

Larsen²,

Wong³

et al. 2015

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine

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Osteoarthritis is a major cause of chronic lameness in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in captivity worldwide. Radiology and other imaging technologies are of limited use in the early diagnosis of this condition in elephants. Collagen II is a major component of articular cartilage. The degradation and formation of collagen II can be monitored by the measurement of specific biomarkers in biologic fluids such as serum. It is possible that these biomarkers could also prove useful in identifying disease in elephants. In this study two commercially available immunoassays which measure a marker of collagen II degradation (C2C) and a marker of collagen II formation (CPII) were evaluated in Asian elephants. The ability of the assays to detect and measure C2C and CPII in the serum of Asian elephants was confirmed. Median serum concentration of C2C was 148 ng/L in nonlame elephants (n=33) and 91.2 ng/L in lame elephants (n=7). The difference was statistically significant (P=0.0002). Median serum concentration of CPII was 519.3 ng/L in nonlame elephants and 318.7 ng/L in lame elephants. The difference was also statistically significant (P=0.039). Whereas CPII concentrations in lame elephants mirrored findings from human and animal osteoarthritis studies, C2C concentrations did not. Further studies which evaluate these and other similar biomarkers are necessary to elucidate their usefulness in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis in proboscidae.

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“…Infections can further extend to deeper tissues, affecting the foot pad or ascending to cause osteitis and/or infectious arthritis, jeopardising the elephant's life (Gage 2001, Luikart and Stover 2005). Degenerative processes in the joints can alter the pressure distribution within the foot, compromise blood supply, and cause tissue necrosis and abscessation (Hittmair and Vielgrader 2000). Regardless of the original aetiology, pain and altered gait can exacerbate the existing problem and lead to a vicious circle of irregular wear pattern, abnormal pressures, ischaemic and septic tissue necrosis and movement restriction.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of a new radiographic protocol for Asian elephant feet and description of their radiographic anatomy

et al. 2013

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Foot problems are extremely common in elephants and radiography is the only imaging method available but the radiographic anatomy has not been described in detail. The aims of this study were to develop a radiographic protocol for elephant feet using digital radiography, and to describe the normal radiographic anatomy of the Asian elephant front and hind foot. A total of fifteen cadaver foot specimens from captive Asian elephants were radiographed using a range of projections and exposures to determine the best radiographic technique. This was subsequently tested in live elephants in a free-contact setting. The normal radiographic anatomy of the Asian elephant front and hind foot was described with the use of three-dimensional models based on CT reconstructions. The projection angles that were found to be most useful were 65-70° for the front limb and 55-60° in the hind limb. The beam was centred 10-15 cm proximal to the cuticle in the front and 10-15 cm dorsal to the plantar edge of the sole in the hind foot depending on the size of the foot. The protocol developed can be used for larger-scale diagnostic investigations of captive elephant foot disorders, while the normal radiographic anatomy described can improve the diagnostic reliability of elephant feet radiography.

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RADIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF LAMENESS IN AFRICAN ELEPHANTS (LOXODONTA AFRICANA)

Cited by 34 publications

References 0 publications

Articular cartilage in the knee joint of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach 1797

Articular cartilage in the knee joint of the African elephant, Loxodonta africana, Blumenbach 1797

ANALYSIS OF A COLLAGEN II DEGRADATION PROTEIN C2C AND A COLLAGEN II FORMATION PROTEIN CP II IN SERUM OF ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)

Validation of a new radiographic protocol for Asian elephant feet and description of their radiographic anatomy

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