Abstract
[Purpose] In this study, we examined the effect of a warm bath and brief stretch on joint cartilage of knee joint immobilized rats. [Subjects and Methods] We used twenty, 9-week-old, male Wistar rats, divided into control (n=4), immobilization alone (Group I: n=4), spontaneous healing (Group S: n=4), warm bath (Group W: n=4), and brief stretch after warm bath (Group WSt: n=4) groups. All groups but the control had their right knee joint fixed in plaster in a posture of knee joint flexion for 4 weeks. The immobilization was for 4 weeks and the warm bath and the brief stretch were about 36 °C and 2.5 N, respectively. After knee joints were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin-eosin, we observed them under an optical microscope. [Results] Group WSt had less partial adhesion than others. Group W and WSt had degenerated joint cartilage and blood vessels. [Conclusion] These results suggest that warm bath and brief stretch stimulation reduced the degree of adhesion.
