Patho-morphological studies on spontaneous joint affections of goats in northern and central region of India

A total 1200 goats were clinically examined for the presence of encephalitis, arthritis, and other joint affections during the course of study belonging to rural as well as organized herds and slaughter house. A total of 112 joints were collected to study the pathology of spontaneous joint affections in the Indian goats. O these, 36 cases revealedjoint affections and subjected to pathological studies. The involvement of the joints of fore limb was more (58.82%) than those of hind limb (41.17%). Based on Histopathological examination, osteoarthritis was the most common joint affection 61.11% (22/36), followed by infectious arthritis 30.55% (11/36), with osteochondrosis 8.33% (3/36) being the least common joint affection in goats. Osteoarthritis was histologically characterized byfibrillation 19.44% (7/36), loss of proteoglycan 25% (9/36), degradation of articular cartilage 13.88% (5/36), disappearance of chondrocytes and exposure of subchondral bone 5.55% (2/36). There was complete loss of articular cartilage in some cases of osteoarthritis 19.44% (7/36) and the defect was completely replaced by fibrous tissue and fibro-cartilage along with pannus formation. Among the arthritic cases histological lesions were capsule necrosis along with mild infiltration with plasma cells, mixed lymphocytes, activated macrophages and fibroblasts at different development stages along with disorganization of connective tissue fibres 16.66% (6/36), moderate infiltration with fibrosis 8.33% (3/36). On the basis of our study it may be concluded that osteoarthritis was most common joint affection followed by infectious arthritis and osteochondrosis was least common in Indian goats.