The Effect of Ultrasound Therapy on Preventing Joint Contractures in Rats

Abstract

[Purpose] To investigate the objective effectiveness of ultrasound therapy, an experimental study was carried out. [Subjects] Sixteen adult female Wistar rats were used in this study. [Methods] Their right ankle joints were immobilized using casts for a week. For eight rats, the casts were removed once a day, and they were exercised with treadmill running after ultrasound exposure (US group). The other rats performed treadmill running without ultrasound exposure (Control group). The range of motion of the ankle joints were compared on the last day. [Results] There was a significant decrease in the degree of severity of the contractures in the US group, as compared to the Control group (p=0.0267). [Conclusion] This result shows the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy on preventing joint contractures in rats.