ABSTRACT

In this study, it is aimed to examine the effects of Infrared Gallium-Arsenic (Ga-Ar) laser therapy in rat osteoarthritis (OA) model that is formed chemically on the knee joint cartilage.

Fifty-six female Wistar Albino rats having weights between 250 and 300 grams were used and the rats were divided in 3 groups. Group 1 and group 2 are the control (C) groups. In group 1 (C-1), 0.9% saline solution was aplied to the left knee joint of 32 rats and in group 2 (C-2), 1 mg monoiodoacetate (MIA) is applied to the right knee joint of the same 32 rats. Group 3 is the experimental (E) group and in this group, 1 mg MIA application to the right knees of 24 rats. Ga-Ar laser therapy was started after 24 hours for group 3 and it was applied for 15 days with 24-hour intervals. In all 3 groups, knee bending test was applied daily. Euthanasia was applied on 1st,7th and 15th days to 8 rats in C-1 and C-2 and on 7th, 15th and 30th days to 8 rats in group E. Their knee joints were removed, and they were histopathologically assessed under a light microscope.

As a result of the statistical assessment, in the assessment between the total scores between C-1 and C-2 groups, scores of the C-2 group were found higher at all the time points (p=0.001, p=0.002). Also when the E and C-2 groups were compared, no statistically significant difference was observed (p>0.05). There was no correlation between the pain assessment of knee bending test and the level of histopathological findings.

We found no effect of laser therapy in the treatment of early knee osteoarthritis.