[The effect of intra-articular levobupivacaine on shoulder cartilage at different doses-experimental study].
OBJECTIVE
In this study it was aimed to examine the histological and morphometric effects on cartilage structure of intra-articular application of levobupivacaine to the shoulder joint.


METHODS
In twenty New Zealand adult male rabbits, 35 shoulders were used for the study and prepared in 5 groups of 7. These groups were defined as Groups L1, L2, L3 and L4 which were right shoulders administered with 0.25% and 0.5% levobupivacaine, Group C which were left shoulders as the control group and Groups S1 and S2 which were left shoulders administered with 0.9% saline. On the 2nd and 15th days the animals were killed, the glenohumeral joints were evaluated macroscopically then cartilage samples were taken. These samples were evaluated with Mankin score, and histomorphometrically by measuring the thickness of the cartilage between the superficial cartilage layer and the tidemark and the thickness of calcified cartilage between the tidemark and the subchondral bone.


RESULTS
Macroscopically, on the 15th day the joint fluid was seen to have reduced in all the groups. After microscopic evaluation, the highest Mankin score (mean: 3.14±2.1/14) was in the L4 group (15th day 0.5% levobupivacaine) and was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was determined between the other groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Histologically, as the highest Mankin score was in the L4 group, this indicates that in a single intra-articular injection of levobupivacaine a low concentration should be selected.


METHODS
Level 5, animal study.
Occupational Diseases Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turquia.
Mustafa Soner
MS
Özcan
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Ankara, Turquia.
Mahmut
M
Kalem
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turquia.
Menekşe
M
Özçelik
Bülent Ecevit University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Zonguldak, Turquia. Electronic address: dr_erc_sah@yahoo.com.tr.
Ercan
E
Şahin
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turquia.
Sanem
S
Çakar
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embriology, Ankara, Turquia.
Nazlı
N
Hayırlı
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turquia.
Oya
O
Evirgen
Ankara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turquia.
Feyhan
F
Ökten
Articulação glenoumeral; Chondrolysis; Condrólise; Glenohumeral joint; Levobupivacaine; Levobupivacaína