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Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Stimulation for Tendon-Bone Healing: A Dose-Dependent Study
Hongbin Lu1, Fei Liu, Can Chen
1From the Department of Sports Medicine, Key Laboratory of Organ Injury, Aging and Regenerative Medicine of Hunan Province, Research Center of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (HL, FL, CC, ZW, HC, JQ, TZ, DX); and Department of Spine Surgery, Key Laboratory of Organ Injury, Aging and Regenerative Medicine of Hunan Province, Research Center of Sports Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (JH).
Objective:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the dosage effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation on tendon-bone healing.
Design:
Standard partial patellectomies were performed on 120 mature New Zealand rabbits randomly assigned into the following three groups: a control group (daily mock sonication, 20 mins), a qd group (daily ultrasonication, 20 mins), and a bid group (ultrasonication twice a day, 20 mins each time). The rabbits were killed 8 or 16 wks postoperatively, and the microarchitectural, histological, and mechanical properties of the patella-patellar tendon interface were evaluated.
Results:
Microcomputed tomography analysis showed that the bid group exhibited more new bone formation and mineralization than the other groups in the tendon-bone healing position at both 8 and 16 wks postoperatively. Histological assessments confirmed that the bid group exhibited a significantly better patella-patellar tendon interface than the other groups, as shown by the increased formation and remodeling of newly formed bone and a fibrocartilage layer. The biomechanical properties of the regenerated patella-patellar tendon interface significantly improved in the bid group.
Conclusions:
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation treatment twice a day was more effective than the once-a-day treatment on tendon-bone healing.
