J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2008 Jun;32(3):247-252.

Comparison of the Effects between Growth Hormone and Hyaluronic Acid on Degenerative Cartilage of Knee in Rabbit

• Kim SB
• Lee KW
• Ha NJ
• Lee JH
• Kim YD
• Joe YL
• Kim DC

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To explore whether the growth hormone is effective in the treatment of degenerative cartilage of knee in rabbits. METHOD: Thirty New Zealand white rabbits were administered intra-articular injection with monosodium iodoacetate (Sigma, St. Louis, USA) 2.5 mg and divided into 3 groups. Each group was administered with hyaluronic acid (Hyruan plus(R), LG life science, Seoul, Korea)(group A) 0.6 ml, growth hormone (Declage(R), LG life science, Seoul, Korea) (group B) or saline (group C) 0.6 ml intra-articulary once a week for 4 weeks, beginning 4 weeks after the degeneration induction. All rabbits were killed 9 weeks after degeneration induction. The histologic morphology was observed by optical microscope with knee cartilage.
RESULTS
Mankin score was 2.4+/-1.3 in group A, 3.9+/-1.7 in group B, 7.4+/-0.8 in group C. Yoshimi score was 1.5+/-0.7 in group A, 2.2+/-0.9 in group B, 4.4+/-0.6 in group C. Gross and microscopic morphologic findings showed that group C represented the more severe than group A & B (p<0.01), also group A was better than group B (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Growth hormone is effective on degenerative knee cartilage in rabbit model, but less than the hyaluronic acid.

Keyword

Growth hormone; Hyaluronic acid; Degenerative cartilage of knee

MeSH Terms

Biological Science Disciplines
Cartilage
Growth Hormone
Hyaluronic Acid
Injections, Intra-Articular
Knee
Rabbits
Growth Hormone
Hyaluronic Acid