Knee Surg Relat Res.  2019 Mar;31(1):44-53. 10.5792/ksrr.18.062.

Intra-articular Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Injection Compared with Hyaluronic Acid and Placebo for an Osteoarthritis Model of New Zealand Rabbits

• Lubis AM
• Wonggokusuma E
• Marsetio A

• KMID: 2446720
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5792/ksrr.18.062

Abstract

PURPOSE
Up to now, there is no feasible solution for stopping or reversing the degenerative process of osteoarthritis (OA). Our study evaluated the effect of intra-articular injection of growth hormone (GH) in OA-induced rabbit knees compared to hyaluronic acid (HA) and placebo.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 21 male, skeletally mature, New Zealand rabbits received an intra-articular type II collagenase injection for OA induction. Two weeks later, the rabbits were randomized into three groups based on the weekly intra-articular injection to be received: GH, HA, and saline. Injections were done for three consecutive weeks. Evaluation was done at 8 weeks after treatment, clinically using the lameness period, macroscopically using the Yoshimi score and microscopically using the Mankin score.
RESULTS
The shortest period of lameness was found in the GH group (15.9±2.12 days), compared to the HA group (19.4±1.72 days) and placebo group (25.0±2.94 days). There was a statistically significant difference in macroscopic scoring between groups (p=0.001) in favor of the GH group. There was also significant difference in the microscopic score between groups (p=0.001) also in favor of the GH group.
CONCLUSIONS
Intra-articular injection of GH showed better clinical, macroscopic and microscopic results as compared to HA and placebo.

Keyword

Knee; Osteoarthritis; Growth hormone; Hyaluronic acid

MeSH Terms

Collagenases
Growth Hormone
Human Growth Hormone*
Humans*
Hyaluronic Acid*
Injections, Intra-Articular
Knee
Male
New Zealand*
Osteoarthritis*
Rabbits*
Collagenases
Growth Hormone
Human Growth Hormone
Hyaluronic Acid