Presence of Nerve Growth Factor and Lameness - is there a relationship?

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic musculoskeletal diseases in dogs, with 20% of the canine population over 1 year of age being affected. This disease affects the entire joint, and the resulting inflammatory and degenerative changes of the articular structures result not only in disability, but also in lameness and pain. NGF levels, which is a key factor in the inflammatory tissue response, have been shown to rise in many acute and chronic pain conditions.To see if NGF is involved with OA inflammation and chronic pain, and thus chonic lameness, the authors measuered the NGF concentrations in canine synovial fluid. For more information, see the article by M. Isola et al in VCOT 4/2011.