Osteoarthritis is for the birds

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess birds as a potential model for osteoarthritis. Compromised by confounding factors, it has not been possible to clearly delineate causation in humans. Nonhuman mammals manifest osteoarthritis in the natural state too rarely for comparative study. Artificial environments (of captive animals) are associated with higher frequencies, but are still inadequate for comparative study, and surgical and chemical models provide only limited insight. As frequency of pathology (except trauma-related) in birds has not been systematically examined across species lines, several families were selected for examination. Skeletal collections of major museums were examined for presence of osteophytes in hawks and pigeons. Three percent of 2,243 free-ranging hawks and 9.8% of 2,718 pigeons had osteoarthritis, all localized to the ankle. The bird ankle morphologically resembles the human knee. Frequency in pigeons was significantly greater than in hawks (chi (2)=86.48, p<0.00001), but was no difference in frequency between wild caught and captive birds (chi (2)=1.06). While misconceptions have plagued past perspectives, it turns out that the most common form of arthritis in humans (osteoarthritis) is actually for, or at least, is common in the class Aves (birds). The frequency of osteoarthritis and cacophony of bird morphologies and behaviors provides an opportunity to start to understand such causation.

Hip joint contact force in the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) during normal level walking

“…Osteoarthritis, for example, as identified by the existence of osteophytes in the peri-articular joint space, has been found in up to 9.8% of pigeons and 3% of hawks (Rothschild and Panza 2006). Overweight turkeys, overweight chickens, and ostriches kept in small enclosures have been found to develop degenerative joint disease (cartilage fibrillation, fissuring, chondrocyte clustering, changes in proteoglycan content, and cartilage thinning) in both the hip and hock joints (Duff 1985;Duncan et al 1991;Anderson-Mackenzie et al 1997;Venkatesan et al 1999;AndersonMacKenzie et al 2001;Tomiosso et al 2005).…”

Degenerative joint disease in captive waterfowl

“…A retrospective assessment of skeletal collections of captive and free-ranging hawks and pigeons revealed 3% and 9.8% prevalence, respectively, of osteoarthritis, all localized to the tarsal joint (Rothschild & Panza, 2006). Scattered reports of DJD have been reported in captive waterfowl (Dias & Montali, 1994;Bienzle et al, 1997;Palya et al, 2003), but risk factors for DJD in captive waterfowl have not been evaluated, especially among waterfowl managed in zoological collections.…”

Hens, Health and Husbandry: Integrated Approaches to Past Poultry-keeping in England

“…These criteria are a useful starting point, but the pathogenesis of the disease is complex and originates in the growth or articular cartilage Panza 2007, O'Connor 2008b), rather than the osseous, subchondral tissue (though Brandt et al 2006 point out that other soft tissues could also be a primary lesion focus). Much attention to arthropathy in faunal assemblages focuses on cattle and caprines, but birds have not been neglected (Bartosiewicz and Gál 2013: 232), particularly as joint-specific analogues for understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of the disease in humans (Rothschild and Panza 2006a;2006b;. Evidence from research on avian remains suggests that arthropathies vary in expression by species and age (Rothschild and Panza 2007;van der Kraan 2008), but reports on links between arthropathy and individual weight examine specific groups (Early Cretaceous birds; falconidae and columbiformes) and present conflicting results (Rothschild et al 2012;Rothschild and Panza 2006a).…”