Download Arthritis

Copyright 2010. PEER.tamu.edu
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Do you know anyone
that has arthritis?
 Both humans and
animals can get arthritis.
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What is arthritis?
 Arthritis is the
inflammation of joints.
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What are joints?
Why do we have them?

What would your life be
like without joints?
 Try to write your name on
a piece of paper without
bending any joints.
 Try to jump up and down
without bending your
knees.

The joints that allow
you to move are called
synovial joints.
Bone
Cartilage
Synovial Fluid
Joint Capsule
Ligament

Let’s talk about each
part separately.
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Bone is a living tissue.
Bone is constantly remodeling itself… what does
that mean?
 Many cells exist in our bones
 Osteoclasts: Cells that ‘eat’ bone tissue
 Osteoblasts: Cells that ‘make’ bone tissue
 Osteocytes: Old osteoblasts surrounded by “bone
tissue”
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Inside your bone is inorganic
material containing calcium and
other elements.
That means your bones are the
body’s calcium reserve.
You body needs calcium to grow
but if it isn’t getting enough from
food, the osteoclasts will speed up
and chew away bone to release the
stored calcium faster than the
osteoblasts can store it.
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A membrane or sac that surrounds the joint
It helps hold all the parts of the joint together
Consists of two membranes or layers:
 Fibrous Membrane: The outer layer which is thick and
tough and hold the joint together
 Synovial Membrane: The inner layer which secretes
the synovial fluid
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A thin layer of cartilage lies
on the ends of the bones. It’s
smoothness prevents
friction.
Cartilage is also elastic and
compressible, allowing it to
absorb shock.
Cartilage is a living tissue
but lacks blood vessels so
the nutrients it needs are
delivered by synovial fluid.
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Synovial fluid lubricates your
joints like oil helps a car.
This prevents the cartilage
from wearing out too quickly
and allows for smooth
movement of the joint.
Synovial fluid also transports
nutrients to the cartilage.
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Ligaments are tough,
fibrous bands that
connect bones to
bones.
Many joints, like your
knee, require their
strong support to
function properly.
Think of the
strength
required to
do this!

Each part of the joint has an important job to do. If
any part of a joint changes, it can make it difficult for
that joint to function properly.

Some examples of bad changes include:
 Cartilage can become worn out and thin.
 Synovial fluid can become thinner, decreasing the ability of
the joint to slide freely.
 Ligaments can be torn or damaged by excessive exercise or
sudden trauma so that they fail to support the joint.

Do you remember the
definition of arthritis?

What are some things that
can cause inflammation?

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Typically caused by bacteria.
The bacteria may enter the body and travel
through the bloodstream to the joint, or bacteria
may be directly “injected” into a joint by trauma.
The bacteria infect the synovial fluid, causing
inflammation, swelling, pain and fever.
This type of arthritis can be treated by antibiotics
and other drugs. If treated promptly, patients
typically recover, although permanent damage
may be done to the joint.
Bone
Cartilage
Synovial Fluid is infected
Joint Capsule is inflamed
Thin bone
Normal bone
Thickened, inflamed joint capsule
Normal joint capsule
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Occurs when the immune system
targets the body’s protein instead of
germs.
Why this happens is unknown.
There is no cure for immunemediated arthritis, although there
are treatments which reduce the
symptoms. Fortunately, this is a rare
disease in animals.
Unfortunately, this disease occurs
more commonly in people and is
called rheumatoid arthritis.
Bone is exposed and/or
damaged
Cartilage is destroyed
Synovial Fluid is thin
Joint Capsule is inflamed
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Osteoarthritis, also known as
degenerative joint disease, is the
most common type of arthritis.
Osteoarthritis occurs most to
older animals and humans.
Over time, the cartilage in the
joint is broken down.
As the cartilage is lost, the bones
are exposed and may rub
together, causing pain and more
damage. The joint may have
varying degrees of swelling, joint
scarring, and restricted motion.
An “aged” or older horse
Bone is worn away
Cartilage is worn away
Synovial Fluid with bone
fragments
Joint Capsule
New bone
formation
Normal joint
space
Collapsed joint
space
Uptoto
1 out
of every
dogs
may be
Up
1 out
of every
5 dogs 5
may
be affected
by
arthritis.
affected
by arthritis.
Similarly,
1 in
5 American
adults
Similarly, 1 in
5 American
adults have
beenhave
diagnosed
with arthritis.
43 million
been
diagnosed
withThat’s
arthritis.
That’s
43people!
million people!
Severe arthritis in horses can lead to
an inability to perform their jobs or
live comfortably. Many people feel
the same way!
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Those with arthritis may have
difficulty performing tasks such
as walking, climbing stairs and
kneeling.
Often times people with arthritis
have a hard time participating in
social activities and many end up
depressed.
Try to imagine how your life
would be different if you had
arthritis?

Scientists are researching
arthritis to discover:
 tools that aid in diagnosing
arthritis
 treatments that work to
alleviate the symptoms of
arthritis.
 drugs that may help prevent,
slow down, or reverse joint
damage.
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Animal and human arthritis have
much in common. This allows
scientists to use animals to learn
about human arthritis.
Dogs were used to develop and
study knee and hip replacements.
Rodent studies were used to
understand rheumatoid arthritis.
Today’s studies are providing
information that can help both
arthritic animals and humans in
the future!