At some point in their lives, most competition horses suffer from joint diseases and related lameness. When prolonged, various types of joint diseases lead to chronic osteoarthritis.
In joint research, the focus is on the significance of various components of synovial fluid, such as joint cartilage metabolites and extracellular vesicles, in equine joint diseases.
Synovial fluid samples collected from horses are used to investigate, among other things, changes in these components following intra-articular injections. At the same time, the response of pain, lameness and other symptoms caused by osteoarthritis to injection therapies is investigated.
Knowledge gained from research can be utilised in the development of diagnostics and treatment of joint diseases.