A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ULTRASOUND AND ELECTROSTIMULATION ON WOUND-HEALING IN RATS

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.