| VETERINARY |
Celia M. Marr Shutterstock, Sarah-Jane Bullock
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 programmes on stud farms. OC is a disease of joint cartilage. Cartilage covers the ends of bones in joints, and healthy cartilage is central
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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 dissecans (OCD). OC and OCD can be regarded as a spectrum rather than two discrete conditions. Certain joints are prone to OC & OCD, and there is