I. Taskan et al., A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ULTRASOUND AND ELECTROSTIMULATION ON WOUND-HEALING IN RATS, Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 100(4), 1997, pp. 966-972
A comparative study has been carried out to investigate the effects of
electrical stimulation and ultrasound on wound healing. Eighty-four f
emale rats were divided into four groups depending on the treatment re
ceived. The first group was given electrical stimulation of 300 mu A d
irect current, 30 minutes daily, starting with negative polarity and t
hen changed after 3 days of treatment. Group 2 received sham electrost
imulation treatment. The third group received 0.1 W/cm(2) pulsed ultra
sound using the moving applicator technique for 5 minuted a day. Group
4 received sham ultrasound treatment. A total of 7 days of treatment
was given to all groups. Histopathologic and biochemical analyses on t
he fourth and seventh days and wound breaking strength on the twenty-f
ifth day were performed for all groups. By accelerating the inflammato
ry phase, electrical stimulation had progressed the proliferative phas
e of wound healing earlier than ultrasound had done. Both electrical s
timulation and ultrasound have positive effects on proliferative phase
s, but electrical stimulation was superior to ultrasound at the matura
tion phase. There was no difference between the two experimental group
s on the mast cell reduction effect. Although ultrasound treatment may
seem to be efficient in terms of time, when the effects of electrical
stimulation and ultrasound on wound healing with the methods employed
in our study are considered, it is concluded that electrical stimulat
ion is a means of treatment superior to ultrasound in wound healing.