The cryotherapy influence on pain and edema induced by experimental synovitis

Abstract

The Aim of this study was to examine the influence of cryotherapy on pain and swelling in an induced synovitis in rats. A total of 12 rats were allocated into two groups: the control (CG) - underwent the synovitis induction in his right knee, and not treated, and treatment (TG) - synovitis in his right knee, and treated with cryotherapy. To induce injury, was injected into the tibio-femoral joint space 5% formalin. For the pain assessment was used the functional incapacitation test, which assessed pain during gait of the animal (paw elevation time - PET) and to quantify the swelling was used a metal caliper in the region of the interline knee. Assessments occurred prior to injection of formalin (EV1), 1 (EV2) and 2 hours (EV3) after. After 10 minutes of the injury, the right hind limb was immersed in ice water, 5ºC for 20 minutes. The evaluation of PET revealed increased 194.03% (EV2) and 169.26% (EV3) for CG, and 134.25% (EV2) and 103.13% (EV3) to TG, with respect to EV1. Comparing the groups, EV3, a significant decrease in GT. The edema assessment showed increased diameter of 39.15% for CG (EV2) and 43.39% (EV3) and 27.91% (EV2) and 14.5% (EV3) to TG, with reference EV1; and only TG significantly decreased between EV2 and EV3. We conclude that the effects in the short term, cryotherapy, were significant to reduce pain and edema in rats with induced synovitis.