Survey Reveals Changing Sentiments Toward IA Corticosteroids Among Equine Veterinarians

At the 2025 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, Erin Contino, DVM, MS, DACVSMR, Associate Professor at Colorado State University, reviewed changing sentiments about the use of intra-articular corticosteroids in horses. Survey results¹ from AAEP membership in 2009 and 2019 indicate different outlooks on joint treatment over the course of a decade. Of 407 respondents, the majority:

• View frequent joint treatments as an industry problem (66%).
• Believe joints are harmed by overly frequent treatments (76%).
• Consider 6 months to be the shortest acceptable interval between injections (50%).
• Wouldn’t use a compounded product if their preferred IA medication wasn’t available (80%).

The most common use of triamcinolone (TA) is in high-motion joints (80%). Respondents also believed TA is somewhat or very likely to contribute to laminitis (72%).

Methylprednisolone is most commonly used in low-motion joints (70%). Compared to the 2009 survey, equine practitioners are now using it less often. One study showed that methylprednisolone is damaging to cartilage and might also be deleterious to the contralateral joint.²

Orthobiologic use has increased since 2009 as more evidence-based remedies become available. Practitioners reported using them due to long-term efficacy (46%), safety (20%), and client requests (11%).

The use of antibiotics with joint injections has also increased since 2009. The 2019 survey results showed that 55.6% of veterinarians always use antibiotics, while 15.8% never do.

References

1. Zanotto GM, Frisbie DD. Current joint therapy usage in equine practice: Changes in the last 10 years. Equine Vet J. 2021 Jun 18. doi: 10.1111/evj.13489. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34143532.
2. Frisbie D, Kawcak C, Baxter G, et al. Effects of 6a-methylprednisolone acetate on an equine osteochondral fragment exercise model. J Vet Res 1998;59:1619–1628.

Related Reading

• Update on the Use of Triamcinolone as a Joint Therapy in Horses
• Disease Du Jour: Equine Joint Health and Healing
• Disease Du Jour: Metabolic Effects of Intra-Articular Corticosteroids

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