title: In situ and ex vivo evaluation of an arthroscopic indentation instrument to estimate the health status of articular cartilage in the equine metacarpophalangeal joint.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate an arthroscopic indentation instrument (Artscan 200) for assessment of the health status of equine articular cartilage.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro experiment using equine isolated proximal phalanx (P1) specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  P1 specimens from 39 horses (aged 1.5-22 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Reproducibility was tested by determination of the coefficient of variation (CV). Dynamic modulus and cartilage degeneration index (CDI) values were measured at 2 predefined sites (site 1, joint margin; site 2, joint center) to assess the accuracy and to evaluate the relation with surface integrity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CV was 9.0%. A significant decrease in indenter force was identified when dynamic modulus values decreased to <2.5 MPa (range of tested samples 0.9-8.1 MPa) and when CDI values at site 1 increased to >50% (range 5.4-72.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Technique reproducibility was adequate but accuracy was limited. The device identified degeneration-associated decreases in cartilage stiffness only when the mechanical properties of the cartilage were considerably changed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Usefulness of this indentation instrument during arthroscopic surgery would be limited in the initial phase of OA-like cartilage degeneration, but may yield important information in more advanced OA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. H.Brommer@vet.uu.nl
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brommer
authors.forename: Mikko S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Laasanen
authors.forename: Pieter A J
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brama
authors.forename: P René
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: van Weeren
authors.forename: Heikki J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.forename: Jukka S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jurvelin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020679:Arthroscopes / Q000662:veterinary*; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary; D015203:Reproducibility of Results