Utilização de métodos não invasivos de imagem para avaliação da regeneração óssea em falhas ósseas induzidas experimentalmente em III/IV metacarpianos de ovinos / Use of non-invasive imaging methods for evaluation of bone regeneration in bone defects induced experimentally in III/IV metacarpus of sheep

ABSTRACT

Background: The events involved in the process of bone regeneration of fractures are influenced by physiological factors and a number of techniques can be used to assess bone tissue. The radiographic examination (ER) is often used in clinical practice to evaluate the consolidation process. Ultrasound (US) allows evaluation of the fibrous callus, present in early stages of consolidation. Thermograph is method of evaluation for image, which allows you to estimate activity of some tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate bone fill process, during 60 days, through thermograph, ultrasound and x-ray of ostectomy induced experimentally.Materials, Methods & Results: Six female Santa Inês breed ewes were subjected to unicortical ostectomy of seven millimeters in diameter, in the proximal region of the dorsum-medial surface of III/IV metacarpal, chosen randomly. The animals were submitted to radiographic evaluations, ultrasound and thermograph, prior to the surgery and during 60 days, in between 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 days postoperatively. The radiographic images were evaluated by examiners “blind” (two radiologists and two sonographers), that didnt know the postoperative day that the image member evaluated. The thermograph images were processed in program for measuring the average temperature in the region of bone gap, over time. The Friedman test was applied to assess the progression of the studied variables over the period of the experiment. Over the period of 60 days it was possible to observe the difference of fault, fill scores by radiographic examination and ultrasound examination (P < 0.001). The Wilcoxon test was applied to observer the differences in scores between the examiners over the period of the experiment. Statistically significant difference was observed between the evaluators of radiographic images from day 14, not being observed between by the evaluators of ultrasound images.[...](AU)