Perna canaliculus mussels have been touted for years as an arthritis preventative and cure for people. It has always seemed unfair that from the moment of birth, cartilage begins to deteriorate. It is part of a process we sometimes call maturation. The process works out pretty well for the twoand threeyearold horse because the joint cartilage reaches an ideal point of maturation at about that age and this supports active joint function. Fro m that time on, however, it is all down hill.
Joint cartilage becomes scarred, and malnourished, generally in proportion to the use it gets.
As the cartilage ages, the amount of chondroitin sulfate, a mucopolysaccharide which helps to form the cartilage matrix, produced by the chondrocytes decreases. The deficiency which ensues encourages development of degenerative joint disease. The CSs are arranged in an elaborate structure with a macromolecule known as proteoglycan. Large volumes of water are incorporated into cartilaginous tissues. Analysis of young cartilage to old cartilage reveals many biological patterns.