Yanli He

ADHESION PREVENTION EFFECTS OF TOLMETIN COMBINED WITH HYALURONIC ACID

This study was to investigate the effects of intra-sheath injection of tolmetin sodium plus sodium hyaluronate (Tolmetin-HA) on adhesion formation in chicken flexor tendon model. Seventy-five chickens were divided into three groups. The long flexor tendon of central digit of all chickens was incised and sutured with a modified Kessler stitch. Tolmetin-HA (0.1% of tolmetin sodium and 1% of HA in PBS) or HA (1% HA in PBS) or saline was applied to each group respectively by injecting 0.2ml into intra-sheath space near the conclusion of the surgical procedure. The chickens were executed 2 weeks after the operation. The extent of adhesion formation in each chicken was evaluated grossly and histologically. The results indicated that tolmetin-HA significantly reduced the extent and severity of post-surgical tendon adhesion in comparison with HA or saline (P<0.01). HA showed a beneficial tendency in preventing adhesion, but the difference was not significant in comparison with saline.

CLINICAL EVALUATION OF HYALURONIC ACID COMBINED WITH TOLMETIN IN THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE

ABSTRACT 67 out-patients with idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee were enrolled in a six-week, double-blind trial of sodium hyaluronate (HA) plus tolmetin sodium (HA-tolmetin) or HA injected intra-articularly. 34 patients received 5 injections of 10 mg of tolmetin sodium and 20 mg of HA in 2 ml of phosphate buffer at weekly intervals, the other 33 patients only received 20 mg of HA in 2 ml of phosphate buffer in a similar regimen as control. Assessments of activities of daily living (ADL) and pain were made before each injection and 7 days after the final injection The results showed that progressive reductions in the mean scores of ADL and pain were significant in both groups, and the mean scores of all parameters were lower in HA-tolmetin group than in HA group. No evident side effects were observed in HA-tolmetin group. The results suggest that HA and tolmetin have synergism in the treatment of OA of the knee.