Joint Problems: Blood Tests Might Aid Early Screening

New research comparing biomarkers in a horse’s blood with X rays showed these tests might be useful for predicting whether the animal is at risk of developing a bone or joint disorder, such as arthritis, said the study authors.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

Recent research comparing biomarkers in horses' blood with X rays showed these tests might be useful for predicting whether an animal is at risk of developing a bone or joint disorder, such as arthritis, said the study authors.

"If so, blood screening, which is easier than radiographic evaluation of large crowds of animals, would permit preselection," said Denis Verwilghen, DVM, MSc, DES, of the University of Liege in Belgium.

Because arthritis is a joint problem that mostly involves cartilage, X rays are not the best diagnostic tools–they can give indications about the condition of the cartilage, but by the time signs of bone changes are visible on an X ray, a lot of joint damage is already done.

"The best assessment of the joint surface can be obtained by examining it by arthroscopy (i.e. look with a camera into the joint)," he said, but the procedure is fairly invasive and not feasible on all horses. Ultrasonography can also aid in the evaluation of joint surfaces, but not all areas are accessible, and not all veterinarians perform ultrasounds

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Where do you primarily feed your horse?
278 votes · 278 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!