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Oiling Up Hard-Worked Joints
Ground impact forces begin in the hoof and travel upward into the leg. Having covered the hoof in the April 30 issue of The Blood-Horse, this second of two articles focusing on hoof and joint soundness will discus two key joints in the horse's legs--the ankle (fetlock) and the knee (carpus). A joint is a point of contact between two bones. Joints allow some kind of motion, such as flexion and extension, side-to-side movement, or rotation. Some joints are more complex than others. For example, for simplicity's sake, the knee is referred to as a single joint. In fact, there are three horizontal joints and several vertical joints within the knee. The ankle and knee are synovial joints and are capable of the greatest range of flexion and extension of all the joints in the horse's body. In racehorses tiring near the end of a race, the ankle and knee can overextend. Overextension is the main reason these joints are especially prone to stresses that can result in anything from minor swelling to fractures. There are three basic building blocks of synovial joints: articular cartilage, joint fluid, and supporting structures. BUILDING BLOCKS A joint is surrounded by a joint capsule, one of the supporting structures. Nourishing and protective joint fluid, also called synovial fluid, fills the narrow spaces within the joint. The ends of the two bones which form the joint are covered by articular cartilage. When properly lubricated, this cartilage reduces friction and concussion between the bones. Articular cartilage is composed of a framework of collagen fibers and proteoglycans that allow the cartilage to work as a buffer that absorbs concussion, yet resists compression. Proteoglycans are core proteins to which glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) attach. Collagen, proteoglycans, and GAGs are produced by specialized cartilage cells, called chondrocytes. Collagen and proteoglycans are constantly being replaced, or turned over, to maintain healthy, resilient cartilage. Continue Reading [*PDF file, 2.67 MB download] *Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. |
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