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California Riding Magazine • June, 2009 Healthy Horse Joints |
The Animal Health division of Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc., located in New York, manufactures pharmaceutical products for the treatment of equine and canine joint disease. Horse owners are most likely familiar with their flagship product Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) joint therapy. “Adequan is the number one selling FDA approved pharmaceutical for treating degenerative joint disease in the horse,” states Allyn Mann, senior manager of the division. “The product has a very broad appeal to all types of athletic horses.” The following information will help horse owners better understand the importance of maintaining a healthy, functioning joint and how Adequan can benefit horses. Healthy Equine Joints A healthy equine joint is a complex system of internal and external tissues that provide stability and protect the joint while allowing for freedom of movement. During routine activity, a functioning, balanced joint is in a constant state of “wear and repair.” As normal forces are exerted on the joint, cells are very actively regenerating and repairing the components of damaged cartilage while replacing the synovial fluid in the joint. This constant renewal, repair and replacement cycle assures that no cartilage loss occurs and a functionally balanced, healthy joint environment is maintained. The equine joint has an inner layer called the synovial membrane. This membrane acts as a barrier to filter out unwanted materials that can damage the joint fluid and eventually degrade the cartilage. The cells that make up this membrane produce hyaluronic acid which is the main component of the joint fluid. The synovial (joint) fluid has the very viscous consistency of honey and acts as a lubricant for the synovial membrane as well as a source of nutrients for the cartilage cells. Cartilage is the white substance covering the ends of bones. The cartilage is referred to as the shock absorber of the joint as it distributes the forces evenly into the subchondral bone. This subchondral bone eventually absorbs the forces of the movement caused by each step the horse takes. The wear and tear of daily use, a misstep, incorrect shoeing or abnormal forces, over time, can cause trauma and disrupt the natural cycle of wear and repair within the joint. Once the natural balance of a joint is disrupted, the joint is susceptible to equine non-infectious degenerative joint disease, often called osteoarthritis. Early signs of this disease are subtle, so horses should be monitored carefully for signs of joint swelling, heat, lameness or hesitation to perform usual tasks. By the time these symptoms appear, joint damage may have already begun.
Warning Signs Inflammation is the classic sign of degenerative joint disease, causing mild pain, swelling and disruption to the balanced wear and repair cycle. The inflamed synovial membrane loses its barrier effect, and unwanted cells pass into the synovial fluid. These cells release destructive enzymes that attack the synovial fluid and begin breaking down the viscosity. As this destructive process continues, the joint fluid becomes very watery and loses its lubricating properties. This causes more irritation to the synovial membrane, which continues to allow more unwanted cells in to attack and degrade the joint fluid. Left unchecked, these destructive forces will begin attacking and degrading the cartilage. When the cartilage is damaged, it loses its ability to distribute the forces of movement evenly into the subchondral bone, causing more pain from the shock absorption into the bone. Once the cartilage is completely eroded, it cannot repair itself any longer. How Adequan Can Help The challenge for any joint therapy is to stop the destructive cycle and restore the joint environment to its original healthy, functioning state. There is only one product approved by the FDA that is capable of doing this, Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan). Adequan breaks the destructive cycle by shutting down the enzymes that degrade joint fluid and cartilage. There are extensive studies of Adequan that prove it readily passes through the synovial membrane and is taken up into the cartilage. This results in the concentration of Adequan at the site of injury. Another published scientific paper showed that a single intramuscular injection of Adequan reached peak level in the synovial fluid within two hours after the injection; nearly doubled the hyaluronic acid concentration (main ingredient of joint fluid responsible for the viscosity or thickness) within 48 hours and detected therapeutic levels in the cartilage and subchondral bone at 96 hours. Adequan is the only FDA approved treatment that stimulates cartilage repair and reverses traumatic joint disease. Adequan is available only in an injectable, prescription form dispensed by licensed veterinarians. The recommended dose is 5mL (500mg) intramuscularly every four days for seven treatments. To achieve maximum benefit of blocking destructive enzymes and stimulating joint repair processes, make sure your horse receives the entire seven doses recommended by your veterinarian.
Information provided by the Animal Health division of Luitpold Pharmaceuticals. Ask your veterinarian for FDA-approved Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) or visit www.adequan.com. |
