Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1762404 | Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology | 2009 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
The present study investigates the effect of transosseous low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LiUS) on the healing at tendon graft-bone interface, in molecular and histological level. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in both knees of 52 New Zealand White rabbits was excised and replaced with the long digital extensor. A custom-made ultrasound transducer was implanted onto the medial tibial condyle, adjacent to the surface of the bone tunnel at both knees of the rabbits. The LiUS-treated right knees received 200-μs bursts of 1 MHz sine waves at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz and with 30 mW/cm2 spatial-average temporal-average intensity for 20 min daily (study group), while the left knee received no LiUS (control group). Thirty-six rabbits were used to perform semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis from both study and control groups for transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), biglycan and collagen I. RT-PCR products showed statistically significant upregulation of biglycan and collagen I gene expression in the study group, while TGF-β1 gene expression exhibited a bimodal profile. Histological examination performed in 16 rabbits from both groups supported the findings of the molecular analysis, indicating a faster healing rate and a more efficient ligamentization process after ultrasound treatment. These findings suggest that transosseous application of LiUS enhances the healing rate of the tendon graft-bone interface, possibly by affecting the expression levels of genes significant for the tendon to bone healing process. (E-mail: malizos@med.uth.gr)
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Acoustics and Ultrasonics
Authors
Loukia K. Papatheodorou, Konstantinos N. Malizos, Lazaros A. Poultsides, Michael E. Hantes, Katerina Grafanaki, Stamatina Giannouli, Maria G. Ioannou, Georgios K. Koukoulis, Vasilios C. Protopappas, Dimitrios I. Fotiadis, Constantinos Stathopoulos,