Hanson, RR; Smalley, LR; Huff, GK; White, S; Hammad, TA
Twenty-five horses with degenerative joint disease that fit the conditions of the study were treated with a glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate compound (Cosequin(R):Nutramax Laboratories, Inc., Baltimore, MD) to evaluate its effectiveness in decreasing lameness. All horses were confirmed to have degenerative joint disease (DJD) by physical examination, diagnostic intraarticular anesthesia, and radiographs or fluoroscopy of the distal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal, tarsometatarsal or carpal joints. All horses weighing less than 545 kg were given 9 g of the glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate compound orally twice daily for 6 weeks. Horses weighing more than 545 kg were given 12 g twice daily for 6 weeks. Each 3-g measure included 1,800 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 600 mg of purified chondroitin sulfate, 16 mg of manganese, and 104 mg of ascorbate. Lameness grade, flexion test grade and stride length (cm) were measured at an initial examination and re-evaluated at 4 and 6 week follow-up examinations. Repeated measurement analysis was implemented to assess the lameness using SAS computer package (Statistical Analysis System, Cary, NC). Within 2 weeks of the start of administration of the glucosamine-chondronin sulfate compound, the lameness grade, flexion test, and stride length were significantly (P < 0.001) improved. A further significant improvement in lameness was evident at 4 weeks, (p = 0.04), while flexion score (p = 0.2) and stride length (P = 0) did not show further improvement. The age of horses was not a significant factor in the improvement of the lameness grade, flexion test, or stride length (p = 0.2, p = 0.7 and p = 0.2, respectively), implying that the achieved results were true irrespective of horse age.