CHANGES IN INTRAOSSEOUS PRESSURE AT THE DISTAL FEMORAL EPIPHYSIS INDUCED BY VARIATIONS IN KNEE-JOINT POSITION AND INTRACAPSULAR SALINE INFUSION - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN DOGS

Hemodynamic changes at the distal femoral epiphysis measured by record ing intraosseous pressure (IOP) were investigated in mature and juveni le dogs after changes in knee-joint position and intracapsular infusio n of 3 mi isotonic saline solution. Juvenile and mature animals respon ded to infusion test with a similar 5-fold increase in intracapsular p ressure. A 2-fold increase in IOP was found when knee-joint flexion pa ssed from 30 degrees to complete flexion. In juvenile dogs, IOP values were lower than in adults both in complete knee flexion and during in fusion test. The similar response to joint hyper-pressure tests observ ed in adult and juvenile dogs suggests that the barrier effect of the growth plate for epiphyseal venous drainage has no major influence in the hemodynamics of the distal femoral epiphysis.