title: Effect of low-level helium-neon laser therapy on histological and ultrastructural features of immobilized rabbit articular cartilage.
abstract: The present study investigates whether low-level helium-neon laser therapy can increase histological parameters of immobilized articular cartilage in rabbits or not. Twenty five rabbits were divided into three groups: the experiment group, which received low-level helium-neon laser therapy with 13J/cm(2) three times a week after immobilization of their right knees; the control group which did not receive laser therapy after immobilization of their knees; and the normal group which received neither immobilization nor laser therapy. Histological and electron microscopic examinations were performed at 4 and 7 weeks after immobilization. Depth of the chondrocyte filopodia in four-week immobilized experiment group, and depth of articular cartilage in seven-week immobilized experiment group were significantly higher than those of relevant control groups (exact Fisher test, p=0.001; student's t-test, p=0.031, respectively). The surfaces of articular cartilages of the experiment group were relatively smooth, while those of the control group were unsmooth. It is therefore concluded that low-level helium-neon laser therapy had significantly increased the depth of the chondrocyte filopodia in four-week immobilized femoral articular cartilage and the depth of articular cartilage in seven-week immobilized knee in comparison with control immobilized articular cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center and Anatomy Department, Medical Faculty, Shaheed Beheshti Medical University, Tehran, Iran. bayat_m@yahoo.com <bayat_m@yahoo.com>
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bayat
authors.forename: Enayatallah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gholami
authors.forename: Aghdas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bayat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007103:Immobilization; D007719:Knee Joint; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D013499:Surface Properties