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Show 12 Philip Lindberg college of engineering Joint diseases in horses are among the most devastating in terms of the associated pain, economic cost, and decreased performance, and can lead to lameness or even euthanasia. Equine osteoarthritis is a de-generative joint disease that leads to progressive loss of articular cartilage, causing tremendous pain and suffering for the afflicted horse. Osteoarthritis often arises from the inflammation of the synovial mem-brane, a condition known as synovitis. Unless the inflammation is treated in a timely manner, permanent damage to the joint will occur. Several hyaluronic acid (HA) products exist on the market to treat synovitis with intra-articular injections. However, none of these products are cross-linked gel formulations or contain any corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. This project aims to develop a novel carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid (CMHA)-based formula-tion that combines the lubricating properties of cross-linked CMHA with the anti-inflammatory properties of the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide (TA). A drug-release profile for the TA was established by encapsulating the drug inside a tightly cross-linked CMHA gel and running a customized Phenyl Hydrazine assay to determine the amount of TA released into solution. Different types of gel formulations, including a gel microparticle slurry, were examined to achieve a linear and sustained drug release profile. Information on the TA release profile will be combined with rheological studies on the gel microparticle slurry to develop the final product formulation. This formulation will then be examined in animals for both safety and efficacy. We believe that this novel formulation will provide longer-lasting and more effective treatment of equine synovitis. DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTRA-ARTICULAR TREATMENT FOR EQUINE SYNOVITIS Philip Lindberg (Brenda K. Mann ) Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Utah UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH ABSTRACTS Brenda K. Mann |