PURPOSE: Assessment of ulnar osteotomy healing in rabbits treated with ketoprofen, by image analysis softwares. METHODS: The rabbits were submitted to ulnar osteotomy and divided in 2 groups. Group A (n=10) was treated with ketoprofen (2mg.kg-1) during 5 days. Group B (n=5) was the control. Radiographs were taken one day after the surgery and then every each 7 days until a total of 28 days. An aluminum step wedge and an aluminum wedge were placed at the osteotomy site to serve as optical densitometry references. The radiographic images were scanned and processed with ODR software in order to obtain tridimensional and color images. Next, the average radiographic density in the area of the osteotomy was quantified using CROMOX software. RESULTS: The radiographic images processed through ODR software resulted in a better visualization of the lesion and bone healing. Additionaly, CROMOX software allowed quantitative analysis of the osseous callus density along the 28 days of observation. We have observed no statistical significant diference between the values of osseous density of the ulnar osteotomy from ketoprofen-treated rabbits and the controls, in the radiographs taken during the 28 days of postoperative. CONCLUSION: Taken together our results have shown that treatment with ketoprofen does not impair ulnar osteotomy healing in rabbits.
Ketoprofen; Osteotomy; Fracture healing; Radiography; Animal
