Effects of hyaluronic acid on postoperative adhesion of tendo calcaneus surgery: an experimental study in rats.

Adhesions are a significant problem after tendon surgery. The effects of hyaluronic acid on adhesion formation of the tendo calcaneus were investigated in this study. Twenty Wistar rats were utilized. Both tendo calcanei were incised transversely, and then repaired. Hyaluronic acid (0.2 cc) was injected into peritendinous tissue on the right side, while the same amount of normal saline was injected to the left side as a control. The animals were sacrificed 40days after the experiment. Both the right and left tendon adhesions were evaluated both macroscopically and microscopically for the presence of adhesions (grading scale 0-4). Throughout the experimental period, there was no difference in range of motion of the ankle between the two groups. Macroscopically, there were fewer adhesions in the experimental group (mean 0.6 +/- 0.8) compared to the controls (mean 1.1 +/- 0.2). This difference was not statistically significant (p = .096). Histopathologically, these parameters were similar in both the experimental (mean 1.15 +/- 0.98) and the control groups (mean 1.9 +/- 1.25). This difference was significant (p = .043). Hyaluronic acid may be effective for prevention of adhesions in the tendo calcaneus though this effect could not be demonstrated experimentally.