Work

Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of repeated intra-articular injections of stanozolol in canine patients with spontaneous osteoarthritis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of repeated intra-articular (IA) administration of stanozolol for the management of spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. Clinical, radiographic, and synovial fluid cytological parameters were compared among dogs treated with IA stanozolol, IA hyaluronic acid, or oral mavacoxib (Trocoxil®). Seventy-five client-owned dogs affected by unilateral OA were randomly assigned to three study groups: the stanozolol group (S), the hyaluronic acid group (HA), and the mavacoxib group (T). The affected joints were treated with either three IA injections of stanozolol or hyaluronic acid administered at two-week intervals, or with oral mavacoxib at a dose of 2 mg/kg on days 0 and 15, followed by monthly administrations for a maximum of four doses. Clinical, radiographic, and synovial fluid (SF) cytological evaluations were performed at baseline (T0) and on days 15, 30, 60, 90, and 180 after the initiation of therapy (T15, T30, T60, T90, and T180, respectively). The following parameters were assessed and statistically analyzed: Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI), lameness score, visual analogue scale (VAS), GAIT4Dog lameness score (GLS), total pressure index percentage (TPI%), range of motion (ROM), limb circumference (CRF), radiographic OA grade, and SF cytology score (SS). Statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Data from 59 dogs (59 joints) were included in the final analysis: group S (n = 22), group HA (n = 20), and group T (n = 17). Statistical comparisons revealed significant improvements in PSI, PII, and lameness score in the S group at 60 and 180 days compared to baseline; improvements in VAS and SS were also observed at T30, while GLS and TPI% showed significant improvement from the first follow-up (T15). The results demonstrated superior clinical and local anti-inflammatory efficacy compared with the other study groups. The use of stanozolol offered therapeutic benefits, and the findings suggest that repeated IA administration of stanozolol represents a promising treatment option for canine OA.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-74312-x