Pötzl W, Kümpers P, Szuwart T, Filler T, Marquardt B, Steinbeck J
Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer Street 33, 48149, Germany.
J Orthop Res. 2004 Nov;22(6):1345-50. doi: 10.1016/j.orthres.2004.03.021.
Despite widespread use of radiofrequency (RF)-shrinkage, there have been no studies on the influence of RF-energy on neural elements of collagenous tissue. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of RF-shrinkage on neural structures of capsuloligamentous tissue and the recovery of neural elements under different postoperative treatment protocols. One patellar tendon of 46 New-Zealand-White rabbits was shrunk. Six rabbits were sacrificed immediately postoperative. Twenty rabbits were not immobilized, 10 were immobilized for 3 and 10 were immobilized for 6 weeks. A monoclonal antibody, specific against a neurofilament protein, was used to detect nerves and neural structures. Staining pattern of nerve fibres was significantly altered immediately postoperative. After 3 weeks the number of nerve fibres and bundles decreased significantly in immobilized and non-immobilized limbs. The loss of nerve fibres was significantly less in immobilized limbs. At 6 weeks the number of neural elements in immobilized limbs increased to the level of untreated control tissue. In non-immobilized limbs we found no recovery of neural elements 9 weeks postoperatively. At this time the number of nerve fibres and bundles was still significantly less compared to the untreated control limbs. RF-shrinkage causes significant alteration of neural elements. Under immobilization nerve fibres and bundles reach the level of normal untreated tissue. Careful rehabilitation is important after RF-shrinkage. Not only for biomechanical reasons, but also to allow the neural elements to recover, thermally modified tissue should be protected from normal physiologic loads.
尽管射频（RF）收缩术已被广泛应用，但尚无关于射频能量对胶原组织神经成分影响的研究。本研究的目的是探讨射频收缩术对关节囊韧带组织神经结构的影响以及在不同术后治疗方案下神经成分的恢复情况。对46只新西兰白兔的一条髌腱进行收缩处理。术后立即处死6只兔子。20只兔子不固定，10只固定3周，10只固定6周。使用一种针对神经丝蛋白的单克隆抗体来检测神经和神经结构。术后立即神经纤维的染色模式发生了显著改变。3周后，固定和未固定肢体的神经纤维和神经束数量均显著减少。固定肢体中神经纤维的损失明显较少。6周时，固定肢体中的神经成分数量增加到未处理对照组织的水平。在未固定肢体中，术后9周未发现神经成分恢复。此时，与未处理的对照肢体相比，神经纤维和神经束的数量仍然显著较少。射频收缩术会导致神经成分发生显著改变。在固定状态下，神经纤维和神经束达到未处理正常组织的水平。射频收缩术后仔细的康复很重要。不仅出于生物力学原因，而且为了使神经成分恢复，应保护经热改性的组织免受正常生理负荷的影响。
