Influence of ROM Exercise on the Joint Components during Immobilization

Abstract

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to clarify the effects of the ROM exercise on joint components according to histopathological analysis. [Subjects and Methods] In total, twenty-six 9-week-old adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. The rats were randomly divided into three groups, the immobilization group (n=10), exercise group (n=10), and control group (n=6). The immobilization group and exercise group were anaesthetized and operated on under sterile conditions. The right knee joints in the immobilization group and exercise group were immobilized with external fixation at 120 degrees of flexion. Range of motion exercise was started from the day after immobilization. ROM exercise was performed in the exercise group once a day for 3 minutes, 6 days a week, for 2 weeks. [Result] The joint capsule in the immobilization group and exercise group showed narrowing of the collagen bundles in interstitial spaces but was less dense in the control group. In the immobilized group, a hyperplastic reaction was associated with infiltration into the articular cavity and adhesion to the surface of the articular cartilage. Conversely, in the exercise group, hyperplasia of tissue was localized to the synovial membrane. [Conclusion] This finding may suggest that ROM exercise induces some changes within the joint components and tissue metabolism.

Remobilization causes site‐specific cyst formation in immobilization‐induced knee cartilage degeneration in an immobilized rat model

“…Previous reports investigated the effects of remobilization on joint structures, the capsule or motion (Hildebrand et al 2004;Usuba et al 2007;Matsuzaki et al 2013), and cartilage (Akeson et al 1977;Haapala et al 1999;Ando et al 2011) after immobilization. Ando et al studied the postremobilization reversibility of the effects on cartilage induced by short-term immobilization using an external fixator.…”

Daily and short-term application of joint movement for the prevention of infrapatellar fat pad atrophy due to immobilization

“…Joint movement in the prevention group was performed by removing the cast fixation each day during the experiment period, and moving the right hindlimb for 10 minutes under isoflurane inhalation anesthesia. Previous studies21 ) indicated that approximately 1 N of traction is required to completely extend the knee joint in rats; therefore, 1 N was adopted as the traction force for joint movement. The right hindlimb was repeatedly pulled caudally with approximately 1 N of traction, and then returned to the bent position for 10 minutes (Fig.…”

An immunohistochemical study of the sciatic nerve in a rat knee immobilization model

“…In the E group, ROM exercise was performed under anesthesia with isoflurane beginning the day after immobilization. Exercise time, exercise cycle, and pulling force were the same as previously described 11 ) , and in this study, the right hindlimb was pulled 120° ventrocranially to the longitudinal axis of the trunk. The right knee joints of E group rats were kept immobilized at all other times.…”

“…Hibino et al 9 ) reported that insoluble collagen concentration significantly increased after immobilization, indicating an increase in collagen fibers with strong intermolecular cross-links contained in the muscle. Others have described increased synovial intima adhesion in the posterior capsule and hypothesized that this hyperplastic reaction was associated with infiltration into the articular cavity and adhesion to the articular cartilage surface 10 , 11 ) . However, the mechanism of the strong contact between the nerve fiber bundles and the perineurium is unknown.…”