Administration of sodium hyaluronate and joint range of motion

Administration of sodium hyaluronate to adult horses prior to and immediately after exercise does not alter the range of motion in either the tarsus or metacarpophalangeal joints

Transl Anim Sci. 2024 Nov 2:8:txae153. doi: 10.1093/tas/txae153. eCollection 2024.
Authors
Julia W Riley 1 , Lara M Chance 1 , Madison R Barshick 1 , Sally E Johnson 1
Affiliation

1 School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.

PMID: 39554613
PMCID: PMC11568345
DOI: 10.1093/tas/txae153

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a glycosaminoglycan found in joint synovial fluid, is administered to horses as an anti-inflammatory with lubrication properties. This experiment examined the effects of HA administered before and shortly after an exercise test on metacarpophalangeal (MCP; fetlock) and tibiotarsal (hock) joint range of motion (ROM). Horses were injected intravenously (IV) with placebo (4 mL, saline) or HA (4 mL, 40 mg) 24 h before performing a standardized exercise test (SET) on a high-speed treadmill and again at 6-h post-SET. Passive fetlock flexion was measured at 4 and 24 h post-SET. Hock flexion and extension were measured at 24 h post-SET by videography and kinematic evaluation at the trot. Parameters of the SET were sufficient to cause peak lactate values of 6.6 ± 0.15 mM and a maximum heart rate of 203.6 ± 4.8 bpm. A minor gain (P = 0.08) in fetlock flexion prior to SET was observed in HA horses that were not retained at either 4 or 24 h post-SET. Hock flexion in both limbs was greater (P < 0.05) at 24 h post-SET, independent of treatment. Horses receiving HA exhibited reduced (P = 0.04) right hock extension. No differences in either right or left hock ROM were observed between control and HA-treated horses. From these results, it is concluded that IV HA injections surrounding an exercise stressor offer no substantive gains in either fetlock or hock ROM. Keywords: biomechanics; exercise; horse; hyaluronic acid; range of motion. © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. Conflict of interest statement The authors report no conflicts of interest.