Therapies intended for joint regeneration in the horse

Abstract

Lameness is the main cause of consultation in the current equine clinic, and osteoarthritis (OA) represents about 60% of cases. During the last decade, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of OA. However, there has been little progress in the development of effective treatments that not only relieve pain and inflammation associated with the problem, but also limit degenerative changes, or even promote regeneration in joint tissues affected by this chronic and inflammatory disease. These treatments should be free of side effects such as gastrointestinal disorders, kidney damage and immunosuppression. Current knowledge about the proteins and cells involved in the biology of musculoskeletal diseases, such as OA, has allowed the development of new therapeutic approaches from an experimental and clinical viewpoint. The aim of this review is to present the state of the art for regenerative therapy of joints in the horse.