Biomaterial Database

Effects of local heat and cold treatment on surface and articular temperature of arthritic knees. 1994

F G Oosterveld, and J J Rasker

Hospital Medisch Spectrum Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate and compare the effects of locally applied heat and cold treatments on skin and intraarticular temperature in patients with arthritis. METHODS Thirty-nine patients with arthritis of the knee were divided at random into 4 treatment groups (ice chips, nitrogen cold air, ligno-paraffin, and placebo short wave). A temperature probe was inserted into the knee joint cavity and another placed on the overlying skin, and changes in temperature over 3 hours were recorded for each treatment group. RESULTS The mean temperature of the surface of the skin dropped from 32.2 degrees C to 16.0 degrees C after application of ice chips and from 32.6 degrees C to 9.8 degrees C after application of nitrogen cold air; the mean intraarticular temperature decreased from 35.5 degrees C to 29.1 degrees C and from 35.8 degrees C to 32.5 degrees C, respectively, after these treatments. Treatment with ligno-paraffin increased the surface temperature by 7.5 degrees C and the temperature in the joint cavity by 1.7 degrees C. No significant changes were observed with placebo short wave diathermy. CONCLUSIONS The traditional model, that intraarticular temperature is decreased by superficial heat and increased by superficial cold, must be discarded. In arthritis patients, intraarticular temperature is increased by superficial heat and decreased by superficial cold. This has clear consequences for treatment policy.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006979	Hyperthermia, Induced	Abnormally high temperature intentionally induced in living things regionally or whole body. It is most often induced by radiation (heat waves, infra-red), ultrasound, or drugs.	Fever Therapy,Hyperthermia, Local,Hyperthermia, Therapeutic,Thermotherapy,Induced Hyperthermia,Therapeutic Hyperthermia,Therapy, Fever,Local Hyperthermia
D007036	Hypothermia, Induced	Abnormally low BODY TEMPERATURE that is intentionally induced in warm-blooded animals by artificial means. In humans, mild or moderate hypothermia has been used to reduce tissue damages, particularly after cardiac or spinal cord injuries and during subsequent surgeries.	Induced Hypothermia,Mild Hypothermia, Induced,Moderate Hypothermia, Induced,Targeted Temperature Management,Therapeutic Hypothermia,Hypothermia, Therapeutic,Induced Mild Hypothermia,Induced Mild Hypothermias,Induced Moderate Hypothermia,Induced Moderate Hypothermias,Mild Hypothermias, Induced,Moderate Hypothermias, Induced,Targeted Temperature Managements
D007719	Knee Joint	A synovial hinge connection formed between the bones of the FEMUR; TIBIA; and PATELLA.	Superior Tibiofibular Joint,Joint, Knee,Joint, Superior Tibiofibular,Knee Joints,Superior Tibiofibular Joints,Tibiofibular Joint, Superior
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010003	Osteoarthritis	A progressive, degenerative joint disease, the most common form of arthritis, especially in older persons. The disease is thought to result not from the aging process but from biochemical changes and biomechanical stresses affecting articular cartilage. In the foreign literature it is often called osteoarthrosis deformans.	Arthritis, Degenerative,Osteoarthrosis,Osteoarthrosis Deformans,Arthroses,Arthrosis,Arthritides, Degenerative,Degenerative Arthritides,Degenerative Arthritis,Osteoarthritides,Osteoarthroses
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults