Cytological and physicochemical aspects of the temporomandibular joint synovial fluid of horses in different ages

Abstract

The synovial fluid analysis is very important to identify cytology and chemical modifications of suppurative and nonsuppurative inflammatory diseases, bleeding, neoplasm or infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the physicochemical and cytological aspects of temporomandibular joint synovial fluid in 24 healthy horses, 12 males and 12 females, who were divided into four groups: control group (Gc) with age varied between five to 13 years, group 1 (G1), with ages varied between five and seven years, group 2 (G2) age varied between eight and ten years and group 3 (G3) with age varied between 11 and 13. The synovial fluid was evaluated for volume, pH, density, glucose, total protein, red blood cells, nucleated cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages. The animals in this study were treated for minor dental abnormalities and it was not possible to detect changes in physicochemical and cytologic synovial fluid between the different groups.