Intermittent pneumatic compression enhances neurovascular ingrowth and tissue proliferation during connective tissue healing: A study in the rat
✍ Scribed by Johan Dahl; Jian Li; Daniel K.-I. Bring; Per Renström; Paul W. Ackermann
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2007
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 311 KB
- Volume
- 25
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0736-0266
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is a treatment method to decrease venous stasis and stimulate blood flow. Recently, it was hypothesized that IPC may exert positive effects on tissue healing, a process highly dependent upon adequate circulation. In this study, we investigated the effects of daily 1‐h IPC treatment during 2 and 4 weeks post–rat Achilles tendon rupture. The tendons were subjectively and semiquantitatively analyzed for collagen organization, fibroblast density, angiogenesis, and the occurrence of sensory neuropeptides, substance P (SP) and calcitonine gene related peptide (CGRP), as well as for a nerve regeneration marker, growth associated protein 43 (GAP‐43). After 2 weeks of treatment, fibroblast density increased by 53% (p = 0.0004), vessel density by 64% (p = 0.022), and the occurrence of SP by 110% (p = 0.047) and CGRP by 47% (p = 0.0163) compared to untreated controls. Following 4 weeks of treatment, both the occurrence of sensory neuropeptides and the vessel density remained significantly higher (p < 0.05), whereas fibroblast density returned to normal. However, at 4 weeks the treated tendons displayed a higher degree of organized parallel collagen fibers, a sign of increased maturation. Daily IPC treatment improves neurovascular ingrowth and fibroblast proliferation in the healing tendon and may accelerate the repair process. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 25:1185–1192, 2007