This article is sponsored content brought to you by IMS Vet.
Veterinarians have a range of options to treat joint pain and lameness caused by osteoarthritis (OA), and equine practitioners use all means at their disposal to ensure horses are exposed to the absolute least amount of discomfort and pain, and potential for injury, while under their care.
Intra-articular (IA) corticosteroid administration is one of the most commonly used treatments, employed principally for their immediate and powerful anti-inflammatory effect. However, these, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s), treat the symptoms and provide temporary pain relief without addressing the underlying cause of the painful and debilitating condition.
ArthramidVet® was introduced to veterinarians in New Zealand (2019) and Australia (2020). A unique, patented product, ArthramidVet®, is not a pharmaceutical and has a completely different mechanism of action to conventional treatments. ArthramidVet® is an inert and biocompatible hydrogel consisting of 2.5% polyacrylamide and 97.5% sterile water. The 2.5% iPAAG gel, a porous biomaterial for intra-articular injection, is neuro-innocuous, safe and stable with great tissue integration in joints across multiple species, including horses (and humans). Its 3D network of cross-linked polyacrylamide polymers forms a “scaffold” inside the joint working to improve the joint capsule elasticity lost during the osteoarthritic process and regenerating the synovial cell layer facing the joint.
According to Dr Jason Lowe BVSc., managing director at IMS Vet, “after intra-articular injection the 2.5% PAAG gel adheres to the synovial lining, immediately reducing exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines in the inflamed joint. Throughout 14 to 28 days the gel become fully integrated into the synovium and joint capsule by a combination of cell migration and vessel integration forming a thick, cushion-like synovial membrane consisting of blood vessel and collagen integrated gel covered by a novel and hypercellular synovial cell lining”.
The idea of a treatment such as 2.5% iPAAG that acts as a bio-scaffold and stimulates endogenous resolution of inflammation by increasing the innate homeostatic mechanisms of the joint, rather than simply blocking inflammation through the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids, represents a paradigm shift in our thinking about the treatment of OA.
Research shows that 2.5% iPAAG is more effective in treating OA and longer lasting than conventional treatments such as triamcinolone and hyaluronic acid. It’s adoption by veterinarians will allow a progressive reduction in the use of corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatories in horse racing and other competitive horse sports that will in turn improve the safety and well-being of our equine athletes and a reduction in injury.
Dr Florent David, an equine specialist in Surgery, Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Diagnostic Imaging, says, “Veterinarians and horse owners need to keep in mind the delayed response to PAAG treatment. This delay is normal, but it’s not what clients are accustomed to with joint treatment. PAAG’s take three to four weeks, and sometimes up to six weeks, to take effect. They are not anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers and, as a result, it requires a different mindset of the trainer and owner expectations, compared to traditional therapies”.
For more detail on Arthramid® Vet visit www.arthramid.com.au, ph 0408 899 940 or email mail@arthramid.com.au.
