OBJETIVO: Investigar os principais efeitos do uso local de nitrogênio líquido sobre o tecido medular ósseo em ratos. MÉTODOS: As diáfises femorais de 42 ratos Wistar foram expostas a três aplicações sequenciais locais de nitrogênio líquido por um ou dois minutos, intercaladas por períodos de cinco minutos de degelo espontâneo. Os animais foram sacrificados após uma, duas, quatro e 12 semanas e os espécimes obtidos foram analisados histomorfologicamente. RESULTADOS: Na segunda semana experimental do protocolo de um minuto, o grau histológico de inflamação obteve um escore médio de um (leve) variando entre 0 (ausente ou escarço) a dois (moderado) (Teste de Kruskal-Wallis p=0.01). Na segunda semana experimental do protocolo de dois minutos, o grau histológico de inflamação do tecido medular obteve um escore máximo de dois (moderado) (Teste de Kruskal-Wallis p=0.01). CONCLUSÃO: O grau de inflamação do tecido medular ósseo foi maior no protocolo de três aplicações de dois minutos comparado ao protocolo de três aplicações de um minuto.

PURPOSE: To study the main effects of local use of liquid nitrogen on bone marrow tissue in rats. METHODS: The femoral diaphyses of 42 Wistar rats were exposed to three local and sequential applications of liquid nitrogen for one or two minutes, intercalated with periods of five minutes of passive thawing. The animals were sacrificed after one, two, four and 12 weeks and the specimens obtained were analyzed histomorphologically. RESULTS: In the second experimental week of one-minute protocol, histological degree of inflammation obtained a mean score of one (mild), ranging from 0 (absent or scarce) and two (moderate) (Kruskal-Wallis test p=0.01). In the second experimental week of two-minute protocol, degree of inflammation to the medullar tissue obtained an average score of two (Kruskal-Wallis test p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The degree of inflammation of the bone marrow tissue was higher in protocol of three applications of two minutes compared to protocol of three applications of one minute.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of liquid nitrogen cryosurgery on the femoral diaphysis of rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The femoral diaphyses of 42 Wistar rats were exposed to three local and sequential applications of liquid nitrogen for 1 or 2 min, intercalated with periods of 5 min of passive thawing. The animals were sacrificed after 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks and the specimens obtained were processed and analyzed histomorphometrically. RESULTS: The depth and extent of peak bone necrosis were 124.509 µm and 2087.094 µm for the 1-min protocol, respectively, and 436.424 µm and 12046.426 µm for the 2-min protocol. Peak necrosis was observed in the second experimental week with both cryotherapy protocols. CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that the 2-min protocol produced more marked bone necrosis than the 1-min protocol. Although our results cannot be entirely extrapolated to clinical practice, they contribute to the understanding of the behavior of bone tissue submitted to different cycles of liquid nitrogen freezing and may serve as a basis for new studies.