HISTOMORFOMETRIA DO FÊMUR DE RATOS REMOBILIZADOS POR NATAÇÃO E SALTO EM MEIO AQUÁTICO

800x600 Mechanical stress is a major factor responsible for changes in morphology, strength and bone mineral density. The study aimed to determine the effects of immobilization and remobilization by association of therapeutic exercise in the aquatic environment, on the morphology of the femur of Wistar rats. The animals were immobilized for 15 days were divided into three groups of six animals each: G1, only immobilized; G2 remobilised freely; G3, remobilized through swimming and jumping in water. Right femurs (fixed or treated) and left (control) were collected and processed for analysis by light microscope. The morphometric study showed no differences between groups in relation to the area of medullary canal and thickness of cortical bone in the control side (left) and immobilized / remobilized (right), and the comparison between groups. The same was observed with the number of osteocytes. However, an increase in the number of osteocytes on the left femur (control) of animals remobilized by exercises, which may be related to the application of a greater compressive load on the contralateral limb during the immobilization period. In this sense, the exercise protocol established in the aquatic environment is not effective for the remobilization.