Morphological evaluation of efficacy of anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy after a dislocation fracture in the elbow joint in rats

Abstract

Effects of different anti-inflammatory agents (oral use of sodium diclofenac, local applications of indomethacin ointment or dimexin-based solution both separately and in case of their combined use) were experimentally studied on a model of an unstable dislocation fracture in the elbow joint of rats. It was revealed that in case of no fixing of a bone fragment its location in the joint was free and with different spatial orientation. This situation produced different effects on the state of articular cartilages of the humeral and ulnar bones, but in all cases resulted in the development of destructive changes. The articular capsule had signs of synovitis. Treatment of animals with the above anti-inflammatory drugs decreased manifestations of oedema and inflammation in joints versus control animals, but to a less extent influenced the structural organization of articular cartilages of the humerus and ulna. It was practically impossible to reliably determine the degree of advantage of either medical agent, because the effect of instability of a bone fragment on articular tissues was significant.