Abstract
ABSTRACTPurpose:Histologically evaluate the effects of low frequency electrical stimulation in the treatment of Achilles tendon injuries in rats.Methods:Thirty-four rats underwent Achilles tendon tenotomy and tenorrhaphy. They were randomly allocated in two groups. Half of the sample constituted the experiment group, whose lesions were stimulated with 2 Hz, nonpolarized current and 1 mA, for 14 days. The other animals formed the control group. They were evaluated at 2, 4 and 6 weeks. The histological study was carried out, the collagen density and the wound maturity index were measured.Results:The healing score was higher in the group stimulated at the 6th week (p = 0.018). The density collagen 1 was higher in the group treated at the three times (p = 0.004) and that collagen 3 was higher in the group treated at 6 weeks (p = 0.004). Together, collagen 1 and 3 were higher in the group stimulated at 4 and 6 weeks (p = 0.009, p = 0.004). The maturity index was higher in this group at the three moments (p = 0.017 p = 0.004 and p = 0.009).Conclusion:Low frequency electric stimulation improved healing and increased the quantity of collagen.
Highlights
Degenerative or traumatic tendon lesions are very frequent, and lesions in the Achilles tendon are among the most frequent, corresponding to 20 to 50% of all lesions and increasingly associated with practicing sports[1,2,3].Achilles tendons injuries present high levels of morbidity and complications
The consequence of poor-quality healing due to hypovascularization means that there is a high rate of recurring ruptures and complications, in addition to prolonged rehabilitation[1,3]
The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of low-frequency electric stimulation on the healing of Achilles tendons in rats after surgical repair
Summary
Degenerative or traumatic tendon lesions are very frequent, and lesions in the Achilles tendon are among the most frequent, corresponding to 20 to 50% of all lesions and increasingly associated with practicing sports[1,2,3]. Achilles tendons injuries present high levels of morbidity and complications. The consequence of poor-quality healing due to hypovascularization means that there is a high rate of recurring ruptures and complications, in addition to prolonged rehabilitation[1,3]. There is no consensus regarding the best method of treatment. Some studies claim that there are no significant differences between surgical and conservative methods in the long term[4,5]. Some studies have shown that the recurrence rate of lesion after surgical treatment is significantly lower than that of non-surgical treatments[1,6,7,8]
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