ABSTRACT
Pain is the clinical sign most frequently associated with osteoarthritis (OA) 1 . The clinical manifestation of this pain is lameness. When an animal presents with clinical lameness, a determination must be made whether the animal is unable to use the limb, or is unwilling to use the limb. Inability to use the limb may be attributable to musculoskeletal changes, such as joint contracture or muscle atrophy. These anomalies are best addressed with physical rehabilitation. On the other hand, unwillingness to use a limb is most often attributable to pain. Herein, lameness is an avoidance behavior.
