Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the histopathological effect of stretching on joint capsules after joint immobilization in rats. [Methods] Wistar male rats (9-week-old, n=14) were divided randomly into control and experimental groups. In the experimental group, the right knee joints were immobilized in a plaster cast for 4 weeks. The experimental group was further subdivided into three groups: immobilization alone (C), stretching exercise for 4 weeks after cast removal (S), and no stretching exercise for 4 weeks after cast removal (NS). After the experiments, the knee joints of each group were excised, and were used for histopathological examination. [Results] Both group S and group NS showed a tendency of the joint capsules to recover compared with group C. Range of motion of knee extension in group S was significantly higher than that of group NS. [Conclusion] The stretching was effective for improving the range of motion, although its effect on the joint capsule was not clear histologically.
