Horses with a chemically induced inflammation of the knee (carpitis) mimicking osteoarthritis (OA) benefit from intramuscular administration of a polysulfated glycosaminoglycan product, reported a group of Argentinean researchers.

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of lameness in horses with no known cure.

"Management includes both therapeutic and nontherapeutic measures, including drugs that are disease-modifying or chondroprotective, to prevent, retard, or reverse the changes that occur in the cartilage of arthritic joints," explained Maria Fabiana Landoni, BSc, DVM, PhD, of the pharmacology department, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of La Plata (Argentina).

At present, the number of clinically proven disease-modifying drugs for horses with OA is limited