Ultrastructural comparison of medial collateral ligament repair after single or multiple applications of GaAlAs laser in rats

✍ Scribed by Gabriel Y.F. Ng; Dicky T.C. Fung; Mason C.P. Leung; Xia Guo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 431 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-8092
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.20077

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background and Objectives

To examine single versus multiple applications of a gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) laser on the ultrastructural morphology of surgically injured medial collateral ligaments (MCLs) in rats.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Sixteen rats were studied with 12 receiving right MCL transection and 4 receiving sham injury. Group 1 (n = 4) received one session of laser (31.6 J/cm^2^) immediately after injury. Group 2 (n = 4) received 9 doses of transcutaneous laser (3.5 J/cm^2^). The controls (Group 3, n = 4) received one session of placebo laser, while the sham Group 4 (n = 4) received no treatment. Ultrastructural analyses were done with electron microscopy at 3 weeks.

Results

The mass‐averaged diameters of collagen fibril in the core and periphery of MCLs treated with multiple laser were larger than the control and those with single laser treatment (P < 0.05). However, the sham injured group had larger fibrils than all other groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The repairing MCLs had smaller collagen fibrils than the sham injured ligaments. Multiple laser treatments enhanced the collagen growth in the repairing MCLs at 3 weeks after injury, which are superior to a single treatment with similar dosage. Lasers Surg. Med. 35:317–323, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.