Osteoarthritis in brief. Part 2: management

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating condition affecting up to 20% of canine and 60% feline patients. Whilst diagnosis is fairly straightforward, the aetiology behind the disease process and therefore the treatment strategies are not. Multimodal management is the mainstay of controlling clinical signs and ensuring patient comfort, however this involves potentially long-term pharmacologic and dietary control and requires significant client compliance. Research into disease pathogenesis and treatment strategies is ongoing but evidence, especially relating to many therapies and nutritional supplements is currently lacking. Genetic research continues as does that into mesenchymal stem cell therapy and cartilage repair and regeneration but clinical "cure" remains a distant objective. This second article aims to discuss multimodal management of the condition in more detail, including physical therapy, dietary management, analgesia and surgical strategies. It will briefly introduce the concept of cellular and targeted pharmacologic treatment and will hopefully encourage readers to undertake further reading on these topics.