Effect of hyaluronic acids as chondroprotective in experimental model of osteoarthrosis()()

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the effects of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in an experimental model of osteoarthritis in rabbits. METHODS: forty‐four male California rabbits were divided randomly into three groups and underwent resection of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. After three weeks of the surgical procedure began three weekly intra‐articular injections of hyaluronic acid native (Polireumin(®))‐PR, hyaluronic acid branched chain (Synvisc(®))‐S and 0.9% saline‐P. All animals were sacrificed after twelve weeks of surgery and tibial plateau infiltrated the knees were dissected. Histological cartilage of the support areas of the tibial plateaus were stained with Alcian Blue pH 1.0, Alcian Blue pH = 2.5 and toluidine blue for research on the amount of proteoglycans. The intensity of staining was quantified on a Zeiss microscope apparatus Imager Z2 MetaSystems and analyzed by software MetaferMsearch. RESULTS: the effect of chondroprotetor hyaluronic acids used in the study was confirmed when compared to the control group, but the comparison made between them, there was no statistically significant difference regarding chondroprotetion. CONCLUSION: the hyaluronic acids tested had chondroprotective effect, with no statistical difference with regard to the different molecular weights.