1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Basic and Chimical Research for the Treatment of the Joint Contracture

Research Project

Project/Area Number	04404059
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (A)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Orthopaedic surgery
Research Institution	The University of Tokyo
Principal Investigator	ODA Hiromi Univ.of Tokyo, Medical School, Ast.Prof., 医学部(病), 講師 (60101698)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	NISHIKAWA Takuji Univ.of Tokyo, Medical School, Instr., 医学部(病), 助手 (80282664) SUGAHARA Hideki Univ.of Tokyo, Medical School, Instr., 医学部(病), 助手 (60241999) NAKAMURA Kozo Univ.of Tokyo, Medical School, Ass.Prof., 医学部(病), 助教授 (60126133) OCHIAI Naoyuki Tsukuba Univ., Medical School, Ass.Prof., 医学部, 助教授 (30134563) KUROKAWA Takahide Univ.of Tokyo, Medical School, Prof., 医学部(病), 教授 (90010298)
Project Period (FY)	1992 – 1994
Keywords	Joint Contracture / Animal Model / Pathologic Process / Treatment
Research Abstract	Treatment of joints contracture is based on clinical experiences, because the pathological conditions of those were not well understood. The purpose of this research project is to better understand the pathologic processes of joint contractures, and to find more reasonable clinical approaches for the management and treatment of this condition. After creating contractures in rabbit knee joints, by the immobilasatin of the joints with external fixators, we histologically observed the changes in soft tissues around the joints. Neither adhision nor any irreversible change was found, only an increase of matrix proteins-collagen, elastin and so on-was found. Hip joint capsule, derived from the patient with ankylosing spondylitis during surgery, was histologically and biochemically analyzed. The amounts of collagen and elastin were increased. This result was the same as that found in animal experiments. For a clinical study we evaluated the effects of active or passive range of motion (ROM) exercises after total knee arthroplasty. Patients who underwent active ROM exercises had a much better range than patients who underwent only passive ROM exercises. From these results, we conclude that the joint contracture is reversible change, and the active ROM exercise is one of good treatmens for this condition.