Ascorbic acid iontophoresis for chondral gain in rats with arthritis

OBJECTIVES To examine the cellularity and thickness of the articular cartilage of the femur in rats with arthritis after treatment with iontophoresis. METHODS To evaluate these objectives, a histological analysis was performed on hematoxylin and eosin, where cellularity and cartilage thickness were observed and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by manual counting by 700.09µm² area. RESULTS The group treated with IAA had normal cellularity (40.1 cells/μm(2)) and maintenance of non-calcified cartilage (75.5μm), suggesting normal thickness. The non-treated group C+, on the other hand, had a lower mean number of chondrocytes (13.0μm(2)) (P <0.05) and, when the cartilage thickness was compared, it showed higher average thickness of calcified cartilage (104.8 mm) and lower mean of non-calcified cartilage (53.3μm). CONCLUSION The use of iontophoresis with L-ascorbic acid by continuous electric current contributed to a quantitative gain of chondrocytes and improved the thickness distribution of calcified and non-calcified cartilage. Level of Evidence III, Case Control Study.