Gross and histopathological observations on the effects of therapeutic ultrasound (3.0 w/cm2) on experimental chronic traumatic arthritis in cow calves

Abstract

Chronic arthritis was induced in radiocarpal joint of 8 cow calves by injecting a mixture of 1 ml each of turpentine oil andgentamicin into the joint twice at 15 davs interval. They were randomly divided into 2 equal groups - A(control) and B(treatment). Group B calves were treated with therapeutic ultrasound @ 3.0 W /cm² for 7 min, daily for 7 daysstarting from day 0. All the calves of both the groups were euthanized 7 days after the end of the therapy. Grossly, thetreated joints had glistening synovial membrane without haemorrhages and articular cartilage with fewer erosions as comparedto fibrosed and haemorrhagic synovia membrane and considerably eroded cartilage of the control joints. Histologically, thejoint capsule of the control joints showed marked inflammatory changes with more degenerative changes in the cartilage ascompared to the treated group where there was relatively normal synovial membrane and the cartilage had better matrixstaining and chondrocyte density.