A Pilot Study of the Clinical Effectiveness of a Single Intra-Articular Injection of Stanozolol in Canines with Knee Degenerative Joint Disease and Its Correlation with Serum Interleukin-1β Levels

Abstract

Stanozolol shows promise as an anabolic and anti-catabolic agent for treating degenerative joint disease (DJD). This study assessed the clinical efficacy of a single intra-articular stanozolol injection in canine knees with DJD and its correlation with serum IL-1β levels. Thirty dogs (n = 30) were divided into a control group (CG, n = 10) and a study group (SG, n = 20) with DJD. Pain levels were assessed using the Brown query, and radiographs were taken at T0 and T3. IL-1β levels were quantified via ELISA. Apart from 2 patients, all showed reduced pain intensity, with 15 patients showing improvement at T1 and 3 patients at T2. A positive correlation (r = 0.84; p < 0.01) was found between pain level and IL-1β in 15 patients. No systemic effects were observed. Most patients (18/20) experienced reduced pain. This pilot study suggests stanozolol’s potential in managing DJD in dogs. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and understand stanozolol’s mechanism in DJD treatment.

Keywords

• dog
• degenerative joint disease
• pain
• anabolic
• stanozolol
• treatment