| VETERINARY |
Professor Celia M. Marr Shutterstock
OSTEOCHONDROSIS:
GENETIC CAUSES AND EARLY DIAGNOSIS
O
steochondrosis (OC) is a common lesion in young horses affecting the growing cartilage of the articular/ epiphyseal complex of predisposed joints at specific predilection sites. In the young Thoroughbred, it commonly affects the stifles, hocks and fetlocks. As this condition has such important impact on soundness across many horse breeds, it is commonly discussed in Equine Veterinary Journal. Four recent articles covered causes of the disease, its genetic aspects, and a new and very practical approach to early diagnosis through ultrasound screening programs on stud farms.
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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 50
OC is a disease of joint cartilage. Cartilage covers the ends of bones in joints, and healthy cartilage is central to unrestricted joint movement. With OC, abnormal cartilage can be thickened, collapsed, or progress to cartilage flaps or osteochondral fragments separated from the subchondral bone leading to osteochondrosis