Degenerative osteoarthropathy in horses: pathogeny and diagnostic

This work presents some important features of the normal articular structures and a definition of the degenerative osteo-arthropathy that points the involvement of all the joint structures. The pathogeny of the pathology is tackled by the potential risk factors and by the cartilage-cartilage, synovium-cartilage and bone-cartilage cycles that lay particular emphasis on the interaction between the different joint structures. The diagnostic tools of the degenerative osteo-arthropathy like the conventional or recent imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging, scintigraphy and tomography) and the biomarkers of the cartilage and bone metabolisms are listed. The pathogeny of the degenerative osteo-arthropathy is complex and involves different factors. This disease is characterised by an imbalance between the anabolic and catabolic processes of the cartilage metabolism. Inflammation is also present and lead to the clinical signs. The synovitis, the liberation of degradation mediators, the mechanical stresses and/or the subchondral bone are part of the pathogeny at different degrees. The development of recent imaging techniques and the biomarkers of the cartilage and bone metabolisms allow the precise description of the lesions and give some additional information on the pathogeny of the osteo-arthropathy. These recent techniques raise new questions and allow the in-depth analysis of the study of the osteo-arthropathy.