[The effect of local heat and cold packs on the skin temperature at the knee joint].

Using the infrared radiometer KT 41, skin temperature of the knee joint was measured in 5 healthy persons on five different points. With the same method skin temperature of knee joints was estimated after hot mud packs of 20 minutes duration and cold packs with frozen bags of 30 minutes duration. The highest temperatures were estimated near the popliteal space, the lowest temperatures on the patella. During 24 hours, a distinct periodical course of skin temperature could be observed. After the hot pack skin temperature of the treated joint significantly rose; after 1 hour the average temperature before heat application was reached again. After cold application with deeply frozen bags, skin temperature dropped drastically and remained colder than pretreatment temperature for almost 5 hours. Heat application did not influence skin temperature of untreated contralateral knee but during cold application also the temperature of untreated knee slightly decreased. Considering the correlation between skin temperature and intraarticular temperature of joints, the effect of local heating and cooling seems to be more intense than supposed and confirms the therapeutic benefit of heat and cold in rheumatology.