What happens to an arthrit isaffected joint?
Arthritis involves the gradual wearing away of the joint cartilage, along with changes in the bone and the surrounding structures of the joint.
The everyday wear on healthy joints causes inflammation, which in turn causes cartilage breakdown. The body normally responds by repairing the cartilage, creating a continual cycle of cartilage breakdown and repair which keeps the joint healthy. In arthritic joints, this cycle becomes unbalanced, either because of excessive wear on the joint or because the repair processes are not working properly.
If this breakdown-repair cycle becomes unbalanced, the cartilage becomes thinner and this reduces its protective effect. The joint fluid also becomes thinner, so it provides less lubrication and less nutrition for the cartilage. This results in a painful joint that no longer moves freely and the horse becomes lame.