Changes in third carpal bone articular cartilage after synovectomy in normal and inflamed joints.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if arthroscopic synovectomy in normal and inflamed joints had temporal or site-related effects on articular cartilage.


METHODS
Alterations in equine third carpal bone articular cartilage were studied at two time periods: groups 1 and 2 (6 weeks) and groups 3 and 4 (2 weeks) after synovectomy in normal (groups 2 and 4) and inflamed carpi (groups 1 and 3).


METHODS
16 carpi from eight horses.


METHODS
Biochemical and biomechanical properties of dorsal and palmar articular cartilage were determined by radioloabeling, proteoglycan (PG) extraction, chromatography, electrophoresis, and indentation testing.


RESULTS
Synovectomy in inflamed joints produced the greatest concentration of newly synthesized PG in articular cartilage by 2 weeks. Synovectomy in normal joints produced significantly greater newly synthesized PG in articular cartilage by 6 weeks. Dorsal sites had greater newly synthesized and endogenous PG in some groups. Chromatographic profiles of newly synthesized PG demonstrated early and late PG peaks. Electrophoresis of late PG peak showed a toluidine blue-positive band that comigrated with human A1D1 PG monomer in the two groups with the most newly synthesized PG> This band was reactive with monoclonal antibody 1C6 specific for the hyaluronic acid-binding region of aggrecan. For the material properties evaluated, only Poisson's ratio was significantly decreased between groups as a function of time (6 weeks < 2 weeks). and this was most pronounced in the thicker dorsal sites.


CONCLUSIONS
Synovectomy in inflamed joints produced site-specific, significantly greater responses in articular cartilage as compared with synovectomy in normal joints.


CONCLUSIONS
Synovectomy may not be beneficial to the articular cartilage in inflamed joints.
Palmer
J L
JL
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Bertone
A L
AL
Malemud
C J
CJ
Mansour
J
J
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000662:veterinary; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002350:Carpus, Animal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology*; D002847:Chromatography, Agarose / Q000662:veterinary; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006736:Horses; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000074402:Synovectomy; D013585:Synovitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*
D011509:Proteoglycans