Low Magnitude High Frequency Vibration Accelerated Cartilage Degeneration but Improved Epiphyseal Bone Formation in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transect Induced Osteoarthritis Rat Model

Methods: 6 months old female Sprague-Dawley rats received ACLT on right knee and randomly divided into treatment and control groups. OA developed 12 weeks after surgery. LMHFV (35 Hz, 0.3 g) treatment was given 20 min/day and 5 days/week. After 6, 12 and 18 weeks, six rats of each group were sacrificed at each time point and the right knees were harvested. OA grading score, distal femur cartilage volume (CV), subchondral bone morphology, elastic modulus of cartilage and functional changes between groups were analyzed.

Results: Increased cartilage degradation (higher OA grading score) and worse functional results (lower duty cycle, regular index and higher limb idleness index) were observed after LMHFV treatment (P = 0.011, 0.020, 0.012 and 0.005, respectively). CV increased after LMHFV treatment (P = 0.019). Subchondral bone density increased with OA progress (P < 0.01). Increased BV/TV, Tb.N and decreased Tb.Sp were observed in distal femur epiphysis in LMHFV treatment group (P = 0.006, 0.018 and 0.011, respectively).

Conclusion: LMHFV accelerated cartilage degeneration and caused further functional deterioration of OA affected limb in ACLT-induced OA rat model. In contrast, LMHFV promoted bone formation in OA affected distal femur epiphysis, but did not reverse OA progression.

Keywords: Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration, Knee osteoarthritis, Subchondral bone, Mechanical stimulation