A cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor impairs ligament healing in the rat

Celecoxib was the first of a new class of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory dru gs, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) specific inhibitors, marketed as having th e same antiinflammatory efficacy as other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory dru gs without their increased risk of gastrointestinal ulceration. Among the w idest uses of nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs is in the treatment of a cute soft tissue injuries. Although the benefits of celecoxib have been sho wn when used for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, we are unaware of any studies concerning its effect on soft tissues. We used the surgically incised medial collateral ligament of male Sprague-Dawley rats as an experi mental model for acute ligament injuries to investigate the effects of cele coxib on ligament healing. Fifty rats underwent surgical transection of the right medial collateral ligament. Postoperatively, half were given celecox ib for the first 6 days of recovery, the other half were not. The animals w ere sacrificed 14 days after the operation, and both the injured and uninju red medial collateral ligaments were mechanically tested to failure in tens ion. Celecoxib-treated/injured ligaments were found to have a 32% lower loa d to failure than untreated/injured ligaments. The results of this study do not support use of cyclooxygenase-2 specific inhibitors in the treatment o f ligament injuries.