Introduction: There are many methods for diagnosis and treatment of knee joints osteoarthritis in modern orthopedics. The infrared radiation is one of the most popular and effective methods though it needs experimental substantiation on rats. The aim: Experimental definition of the effectiveness of the proposed method of conservative treatment of knee joints osteoarthritis using sodium diclofenac, glucosamine hydrochloride and infrared laser radiation, on the basis of biochemical markers of connective tissue metabolism in rats.
Materials and methods: Experimental studies were performed on 40 white male rats. A part of rats received infrared laser radiation in addition to diclofenac sodium and glucosamine hydrochloride.
Results: Using a complex of infrared laser radiation and glucosamine hydrochloride and diclofenac sodium in conservative treatment of rats with experimentally induced knee joints osteoarthritis rats after 24 days of treatment. Treatment with the above-mentioned scheme resulted in a significant reduction in the content of glycoproteins (28.5%), chondroitin sulfates (26.1%), alkaline phosphatase activity (32.3%), and I and II fractions of glycosaminoglycans, namely chondroitin-6- (28.7%) and chondroitin-4-sulfate (40.3%). Moreover, these indicators of the studied markers approached the level of intact animals.
Conclusions: Changes in biochemical markers of connective tissue in rats during experimental knee joints osteoarthritis indicated a higher efficiency of the treatment regimen with the use of low-intensity infrared laser radiation compared with exclusively drug therapy.