Vibratory Platform in the Tibial Bone Tissue of Wistar Rats Subjected to Immobilization

Abstract

Introduction: immobilization is a common option for the treatment of orthopaedic disorders, such as sprains, ligament ruptures, muscle, joint and fracture injuries. But in addition to the beneficial effects, immobilization leads to movement restriction, which can affect bone and muscle composition. Several therapeutic measures have served to remobilization, in this sense, the vibratory platform is an equipment that can provide interesting results in remobilization. Thus, the present study was intended to evaluate the vibratory platform action in the tibial bone tissue of Wistar rats submitted to immobilization. The experimental model used 24 Wistar rats randomly divided into 4 experimental groups: G1 (control group), G2 (immobilized only), G3 (immobilization and free remobilization) and G4 (immobilization and remobilization with vibratory platform). Immobilization caused a reduction in the total area of immobilized bone, but did not produce differences in the area of the spinal canal. For the cortical bone thickness, all the immobilized groups presented a reduction compared to the control, but the group that had the treatment with the vibratory platform resembled the only group immobilized (G2). In the number of osteocytes, there was increase in G3 and G4 when compared to G1 and G2. The protocol of whole body vibration used in this study induced recovery of the cortical bone thickness, with no advantages for the other variables in relation to the free remobilization group.