title: [Effectiveness of intra-articular application of hyaluronic acid on early forms of femoropatellar arthrosis--an experimental study in dogs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the effects of intraarticularly applied hyaluronic acid on the cartilage-integrity with early-forms of retropatellar cartilage degeneration (chondromalacia patellae) in dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the Pond-Nuki model (tenotomy and resection of the anterior cruciate ligament = ACL) in 27 dogs (foxhounds) (3 groups of 9 animals) PILOT STUDY: ACL-tenotomy and resection, no therapy, specimens retrieval after 3, 6, 12 weeks (3 animals each period). VERUM: ACL-tenotomy and resection, hyaluronic acid (start after 3, 6, 12 weeks), 5 injections in 4 weeks, specimens retrieval after 5 weeks following final injection (12, 15, 21 weeks postoperatively, 3 dogs each period). PLACEBO: same procedure as verum, but saline-injections. Specimens were taken from the medial/lateral patellar pole from both, the operated and the normal knee and examined histologically using various staining methods (HE, Azan, Toluidin, Masson-Goldner, Safranin-O). A modified Mankin score was used to grade cartilage degeneration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results demonstrate that the Pond-Nuki model is suitable to experimentally induce chondromalacia patellae. There were significantly less degenerative cartilage changes in the knees treated with hyaluronic acid compared to the placebo-group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results let assume that hyaluronic acid could be indicated i.e. after arthroscopically diagnosed early cartilage-degeneration, the final conclusions concerning the actual mechanisms and therapeutical effectiveness need however further prospective clinical and experimental investigations.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Orthopädie II-Schwerpunkt Rehabilitationsmedizin, Stiftung Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Heidelberg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wenz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Brocai
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Breusch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mittnacht
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: F U
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Niethard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010018:Osteomalacia / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D010329:Patella / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid