Joint Anatomy

Synovial joints are the most common joints in the horse’s body. A synovial joint is an articulation where bony ends are capped with cartilage and glide over each other while contained within a fluid-filled joint capsule, enabling movement and transferring load. External supporting structures include skin, tendons and ligaments. For a joint to stay healthy, the synovial joint must remain stable. Instability exerts abnormal forces on the joint and can result in injury.

Articular cartilage is a highly specialized connective tissue of synovial joints. Unlike most tissues, it contains no blood vessels, lymphatics or nerves. This unique and complex structure of articular cartilage gives it a limited capacity for intrinsic healing and repair. Cartilage is also subjected to the harsh biomechanical environment, the daily “wear and tear” of every movement. Damage to cartilage is associated with significant musculoskeletal disease. Maintaining the health of articular cartilage is paramount to joint health.