ObjectiveTo study the effects of the sand therapy of Uyghur Traditional Medicine on cytokines,such as interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), nitric oxide(NO) of the rabbit experimental knee osteoarthritis. Methods27 rabbits were injected papain into the joint space of right knee, and divided randomly into three groups. 15 d after the articular injection, the rabbits of group Ⅰ were treated with the sand therapy, the rabbits of group Ⅱ were treated with fenbid, and Ⅲ group accepted no treatment for the blank control.15 d after treatment, the serum and the douche fluid of the diseased joints were obtained to measure the level of IL-1β,TNF-α and NO. The synovium and the cartilage was observed histopathologically.ResultsCompare with group Ⅱ and Ⅲ, the pathological changes of cartilage and synovitis in group Ⅰ lighten significantly. Compare with groupⅢ,the level of IL-1β, TNF-α in articular douche fluid and NO in serum of group Ⅰ and Ⅱ decreased significantly. ConclusionThe sand therapy can decrease the level of cytokines in the focus joints, which may play a role of treatment in osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND:On the basis of modern design method and numerical simulation, studies can explore the action mechanisms of sand therapy in Uyghur medicine.
OBJECTIVE:To explore a kind of non-homogeneous and isotropic biological bone finite element modeling method based on CT value, and to study the influence of sand therapy in Uyghur medicine on the mechanical properties of rabbits’ femur.
METHODS:Eight adult New Zealand white rabbits were used to establish osteoarthritis models of right posterior femur with papain. These rabbits were divided into sand therapy group and control group. In the sand therapy group, after treatment with sand therapy in Uyghur medicine, rabbit femoral models were scanned with CT. The fault image data were imported into MIMICS software. 3D model of femur was generated. The meshing was done. The material properties were given. Three-point bending in the Ansys was simulated and solved.Simultaneously, the isolated three point bending tests were performed in al rabbit models. The corresponding deflection and the maximum stress values were obtained. Finaly, the results obtained from the three-dimensional finite element modeling method were compared with the results obtained from the experiments.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The deflection and the maximum stress obtained by the three-point bending simulation analysis with the three-dimensional finite element model of the rabbits’ femur were wel correlated with the data obtained from the experiments. (2) These results indicate that the finite element modeling method is consistent with the structural and material properties of bone, which can be used to analyze the stress and deformation ofbones.