Ultrassonografia da articulação femorotibiopatelar em ovinos submetidos à indução de sinovite por lipopolissacarídeos

Abstract

Synovitis can be induced in animals through the application of bacterial wall lipopolysaccharide, and shows signs similar to naturally caused synovitis. Several studies have been carried out using the sheep species as an experimental model to understand osteoarticular diseases of the femorotibiopatellar joint in humans. There are echographic studies regarding the standardization of the femorotibiopatellar joint normality in sheep. However, for alterations such as acute synovitis, there is a gap in the literature. The objective was to serially describe the ultrasonographic aspects of the synovitis process induced by intra-articular infiltration of lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the femorotibiopatellar joint in sheep. Twelve healthy crossbred sheep (Santa Inês x Dorper) were used. Synovitis induction was performed only in the right FTP joints, which were evaluated by serial ultrasound examination at baseline (M0) and at 12 (M12), 24 (M24), 48 (M48), 72 (M72) and 120 (M120) hours after infiltration with lipopolysaccharide for the induction of synovitis. The intra-articular application of lipopolysaccharide from E. coli resulted in one or more sonographic signs of synovitis (increased volume of synovial fluid, pleating of the synovial membrane and cellularity in the joint cavity), which were identified early, 12 hours after inoculation, and regressed along the evaluated times (p=0.0001), until disappearing after 120 hours of inoculation.