INTRODUCTION
Intra-articular corticosteroids have been used to treat joint diseases
since the early 1950s in humans (Hollander et al., 1951). A few years
later, joints were treated with corticosteroids in horses as well
(Wheat, 1955). The potent anti-inflammatory characteristics of
corticosteroids leading to pain relief made these treatments popular;
however, additional research revealed adverse effects on joint integrity
(Goodrich & Nixon, 2006; McIlwraith, 2010). Despite being a highly
controversial therapy for joint disease, corticosteroids were the
intra-articular (IA) treatment of choice among equine practitioners in
recent surveys (Goodrich & Nixon, 2006; Zanotto & Frisbie, 2021;
Velloso Alvarez et al., 2020).
Given their substantial popularity in the face of controversy, this
systematic review identified and appraised the evidence regarding
corticosteroids as an IA therapy for horses. The authors intend to
answer the following questions: 1) “What is the available evidence
regarding the symptom-modifying and disease-modifying effects of a
single IA injection of corticosteroid for treating osteoarthritis
(OA)?”; and 2) “What is the current evidence suggesting that
corticosteroids are detrimental to joint health?”.