Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Early osteoarthritis signs in dogs with kneecap dislocation
By Alam, Md Rafiqul et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2011·Department of Surgery and Obstetrics·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Biomarkers for identifying the early phases of osteoarthritis secondary to medial patellar luxation in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 24 dogs had a surgical procedure to create a knee problem called medial patellar luxation, which can lead to osteoarthritis (OA) and cause symptoms like limping or difficulty moving. Researchers measured certain substances in the dogs' joint fluid and blood over several months to see how OA progressed. They found that specific markers in the joint fluid increased while others decreased, indicating changes in the joints associated with OA. These findings suggest that testing for these markers could help veterinarians identify early signs of joint problems in dogs.
People also search for: dog limping after knee surgery · early signs of osteoarthritis in dogs · treatment for dog joint problems
Abstract
The levels of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) in synovial fluid (SF) and serum in cases of canine osteoarthritis (OA) were measured. OA was induced by a surgically-created medial patellar luxation in the left stifle of 24 dogs. SF and blood samples were collected at 1.5- and 3-month intervals, respectively. Every 3 months, one dog was euthanatized to collect tissue samples from both stifles. TRAP levels in SF and serum were measured using a spectrophotometer, and TRAP-positive cells in joint tissues were identified by enzyme histochemistry. MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in SF and serum were detected by Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. TRAP in SF from the stifles and serum was significantly increased (p < 0.05) after 3 months. TIMP-2 in SF and serum was significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas MMP-2 in SF was significantly increased (p < 0.05) during the progression of OA. Histochemistry revealed an increased number of TRAP-positive cells in tissues from OA-affected joints. Assays measuring TRAP, MMP-2, and TIMP-2 in SF and serum, and methods that detect increased numbers of TRAP-positive cells in the joint tissues can play an important role in identifying the early phases of degenerative changes in canine joint components.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21897101/