| Summary: | Rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in dogs and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in human beings, with ensuing development of osteoarthritis (OA) is a common orthopaedic problem in these species. Many risk factors have been identified in the development of cruciate rupture and OA; these include obesity, trauma, gender, age and genetics. Differences in physiological hormone levels have been associated with some of these risk factors. Obesity is a major risk factor for OA and leptin levels are positively correlated to fat mass. More recently, it has been shown that the tissues of the synovial joint express leptin and the leptin receptor, indicating that leptin may have an autocrine or paracrine role in these tissues.
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