Micro-computed tomography reveals high-density mineralised protrusions and microstructural lesions in equine stifle joint articular cartilage.
Authors: Ducrocq Mathilde, Kamus Louis, Richard Hélène, Beauchamp Guy, Janvier Valentin, Laverty Sheila
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Osteoarthritis of the equine stifle predominantly affects the medial femorotibial compartment, yet the detailed structural changes within articular cartilage have remained poorly characterised. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT) on cadaveric stifle joints from seven osteoarthritic and 17 control horses, researchers imaged the medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau to map microstructural lesions across cranial and caudal regions. Cartilage fibrillation was significantly more prevalent in osteoarthritic horses (100% versus 41% in controls), particularly in the cranial medial femoral condyle, whilst a novel finding of high-density mineralised protrusions (HDMP)—hyperdense mineralised material protruding into the cartilage matrix—occurred in 50% of femoral sites compared with only 20% of tibial sites, with the most severe HDMP changes concentrated in the cranial femoral condyle. Histological correlation confirmed that μCT could reliably distinguish healthy from abnormal cartilage microstructure. These findings provide farriers, veterinarians and physiotherapists with a more nuanced understanding of where and how degenerative changes progress within the stifle joint, potentially refining both diagnostic interpretation of advanced imaging and targeting of therapeutic interventions to high-risk cartilage regions.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Stifle OA lesions show distinct regional patterns, with the cranial medial femoral condyle being a primary site of damage—focus diagnostics and lameness evaluation accordingly
- •Micro-CT provides superior visualization of cartilage lesions compared to conventional imaging and may improve diagnostic accuracy for equine stifle problems
- •High-density mineralised protrusions represent a new OA lesion type in horses that warrants further investigation for their role in disease progression and treatment planning
Key Findings
- •HAC fibrillation was present in 100% of OA cases in the cranial medial femoral condyle versus 41% in controls (p=0.019)
- •High-density mineralised protrusions (HDMP) were more frequent in medial femoral condyles (50%) than medial tibial plateaus (20%) (p=0.033)
- •Score 3 HDMP severity was significantly more prevalent in the cranial aspect of the medial femoral condyle (29%) compared to caudal (0%) (p=0.003)
- •Micro-CT imaging successfully characterized microstructural changes in equine stifle cartilage and identified novel lesion types including HDMP previously not documented in equine joints