Equine osteoarthritis: a brief review of the disease and its causes

Summary

# Editorial Summary Osteoarthritis represents a significant clinical and economic challenge in equine practice, yet the underlying mechanisms driving joint degeneration have become increasingly well characterised over recent decades. Schlueter and Orth synthesise current knowledge of OA pathophysiology, identifying key biological mediators—particularly cytokines, inflammatory molecules, and matrix metalloproteinases—that orchestrate cartilage breakdown and disease progression. Beyond these molecular drivers, the review highlights modifiable and fixed risk factors including traumatic joint insult, enforced immobilisation, conformational abnormalities, farriery practices, and age-related changes. Understanding this multifactorial aetiology is essential for equine professionals: it underscores why a single intervention rarely suffices, and why preventive strategies must address both extrinsic factors (training load, shoeing, stable management) and intrinsic predisposition. The authors emphasise that advances in chondroprotective therapeutics and diagnostic imaging will increasingly support early detection and intervention, making this knowledge base invaluable for maintaining athletic soundness and extending working life in performance horses.

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Key Findings

• •Cytokines, inflammatory mediators, and metalloproteinases are identified molecular drivers of osteoarthritis progression in horses
• •Multiple risk factors including trauma, immobilization, conformation, shoeing, and aging are associated with development of equine osteoarthritis
• •Osteoarthritis significantly impacts both equine athlete health and the economics of the equine industry

Conditions Studied