EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT IRRIGATION LIQUIDS AND TIMES ON ARTICULAR-CARTILAGE - AN EXPERIMENTAL, BIOMECHANICAL STUDY

To characterize the suitability of different solutions [6% Dextran, 5% sorbitol (I); 5% fructose (II); 5% mannitol (III); Ringer's solution (IV)] for arthroscopy, bovine knee articular cartilage specimens (n = 52) were immersed for 0, 2, 4, or 20 h before indentation creep testin g, known as a sensitive probe for tissue degeneration. Immersion in li quid I for up to 20 h produced significant softening of articular cart ilage [p < 0.05, Friedman two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)]. Liqui ds II-III produced no statistically significant changes in the deforma tional characteristics of articular cartilage. After 2 h of immersion in liquid IV deformation increased and remained elevated over the obse rvation period (p < 0.05, Friedman two-way ANOVA). Based on these resu lts, the first and most remarkable softening of cartilage took place w ith Ringer's solution as compared with nonionic solutions. Therefore, the nonionic solutions, such as 5% fructose or mannitol, may have pote ntial for use as an irrigation liquid during arthroscopic procedures.