Advances in Diagnosis, Staging, and Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Anatomy, Histology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 7929

Special Issue Editor

Medical, Surgical, Obstetric Clinic, Section of Veterinary Clinics and Animal Production, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, SP 62 per Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Bari, Italy
Interests: pain in small and large animals, analgesia, experimental animal models of ALI/ARDS, pulmonary atelectasis and its treatment during anesthesia non invasive ventilation in small animal patients
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most commonly diagnosed chronic joint disease in both human and veterinary medicine. It is typically characterized by a low-grade progressive inflammation resulting in degeneration and remodeling of synovial joints. Articular pain is the early and main clinical manifestation of the disease, which is usually characterized by a variable and progressive impairment of mobility. With the chronicization of the disease, clinical signs involve the entire animal with important modifications of body weight (obesity), muscle tone (muscular hypotrophy), and deterioration of lifestyle. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease are cornerstones of the successful management of OA. An accurate orthopedic examination using appropriate diagnostic tools is mandatory for the diagnosis of OA. Nevertheless, the modern clinical approach also includes the involvement of the owner’s evaluation (of the modification of daily lifestyle) that should be integrated with the veterinarian’s evaluation with the aim of providing a comprehensive assessment and staging of the disease. Treatment of OA involves a multimodal approach that includes treatment of pain and inflammation, support of articular metabolism, body weight management, therapeutic exercise, physiotherapy, and treatment of the central component of pain. In addition to the traditional therapies, modern and promising approaches include cellular, laser, magnetic, and acupuncture therapies. This Special Issue aims to collect opinions and cutting-edge information from specialists involved in the different aspects of the management of OA in dogs and cats, i.e., pain management, orthopedics, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, cellular therapy, and feline medicine.

Prof. Francesco Staffieri
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • osteoarthritis
  • dog
  • cat
  • staging
  • treatment
  • diagnosis

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 1054 KiB  
Review
Physiotherapeutic Strategies and Their Current Evidence for Canine Osteoarthritis
by Monika Anna Mille, Jamie McClement and Susanne Lauer
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010002 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6876
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and debilitating condition in domestic dogs. Alongside pharmaceutical interventions and weight loss, exercise and physiotherapy (PT) are important measures in maintaining patient mobility and quality of life. Physiotherapy for OA aims to reduce pain, optimize muscular function and [...] Read more.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and debilitating condition in domestic dogs. Alongside pharmaceutical interventions and weight loss, exercise and physiotherapy (PT) are important measures in maintaining patient mobility and quality of life. Physiotherapy for OA aims to reduce pain, optimize muscular function and maintain joint function. Physiotherapeutic plans typically include PT exercises combined with therapeutic modalities, lifestyle and environmental modifications to improve the patient’s overall quality of life and function. Information on therapeutic clinical efficacy of physiotherapeutic measures for canine OA is still very limited. Thus, physiotherapeutic strategies are still primarily based on evidence extrapolated from human protocols tailored to people with OA. The authors propose a simple systematic PT approach for canine OA, prioritizing measures according to simplicity, cost effectiveness and practicality. This guide (the “Physiotherapy Pyramid”) aims to provide a clear stratified approach to simplify decision making and planning for owners, veterinarians and veterinary physiotherapists, leading to more straightforward design and implementation of treatment plans. Measures are implemented starting at the base of the pyramid, subsequently progressing to the top, allowing effective and practical interventions to be prioritized. The levels of the pyramid are in ascending order: environmental modification, exercise plan, OA-specific home exercises and treatment by a veterinary physiotherapist. Full article
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