Comparison of equine articular cartilage thickness in various joints.

Purpose: Thicknesses of fresh equine articular cartilage surfaces from the fetlock, carpal and stifle joints were measured employing a needle probe test.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-seven samples used in measurement were cultivated from fetlock, carpal and stifle joints of 12 deceased within 4 h of death. After approximately three minutes of exposure to air during dissection, all cartilage samples were preserved in a saline solution to keep the articular cartilage hydrated for testing.