The Good, the Bad and the Inflamed: Joint Injection Strategies

There are a wide range of joint injection options available to veterinarians. Increasingly these produces are off the shelf or available with stall side processing making them viable options for field lameness. Selection of treatment option (steroid, biologic, stem cell or hydrogels) is largely based on personal experience. This talk will dive into mechanisms and benefits and limitations/risks of each treatment option. Attendees will gain a framework for selecting appropriate therapies based on diagnosis, stage of disease, athletic demands, patient comorbidities and treatment goals. Cases ranging from acute synovitis to chronic osteoarthritis will illustrate how treatment decisions can be tailored to individual patients to maximize both short- and long-term outcomes.

• Compare the mechanisms, indications, advantages, and limitations of steroid, biologics, stem cell, and polyacrylamide hydrogel therapies.
• Develop treatment plans for common equine joint conditions across different stages of disease.
• Apply patient-specific factors, including discipline, performance goals, and disease severity, when selecting intra-articular therapies.