Introduction: The knee joint cavity started to developed in the intrauterine life from mesenchymal
progenitor at the interzone. Ciprofloxacin is one of fluorinated derivatives of quinolone, which has a broad spectrum
bactericidal activity. Ciprofloxacin induces damage of the epiphyseal growth plate during early post-natal
developmental phase resulting in irreversible bone damage and growth inhibition. Aim of this work: is to study the
prenatal and postnatal development of the knee joint cavity in albino rat and detect the effect of ciprofloxacin on the
articular cartilage of knee joint and epiphyseal growth plate cartilage of femur and tibia and evaluate the possible
protective role of vitamin E and detect the possible reversible effects of ciprofloxacin after drug stoppage. Material
and methods: eighteen pregnant rats were divided in to two groups: (Ι) Developmental groups: pregnant rats
sacrificed at 16th, 18th, 20th days of gestation.(П) Experimental groups: A-Control group and B-Ciprofloxacin treated
group: divided into four subgroups. a- Ciprofloxacin Treated pups subgroup: received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin
for 14 days. b- Ciprofloxacin Treated rats subgroup: Rats aged 5weeks received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin for 14
days. c- Ciprofloxacin plus vitamin E subgroup: Rats aged 5 weeks received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin in addition
to 100 mg/kg/ day vitamin E for 14 days. d- Ciprofloxacin withdrawal subgroup: Rats aged 5 weeks received 20
mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin for 14 days then left to live for 30 days after Ciprofloxacin stoppage then rats were
sacrificed. Results: The knee joint cavity started to appear at 16 day intrauterine life in the interzone and completed
at 20 day intrauterine life, Ciprofloxacin cause erosion and cavitations of the articular cartilage and the epiphyseal
growth plate of the femur and tibia by light microscopy and chondrocyts degeneration by electron microscopy,and
after giving vitamin E with Ciprofloxacin, the articular cartilage of the femoral condyle affected only small
cavitations of deep zone with little sign of degenerations by electron microscopy. After stopping of Ciprofloxacin
for 30 days we found persistence its effect on growing articular cartilage and epiphyseal growth plate. Conclusion:
The knee joint cavity started to appear at the interzoe at 16 day I.U.L. and completed at 20 day I.U.L. Ciprofloxacin
causes toxic effect on the growing cartilage. The vitamin E partially minimizes the toxic effect of Ciprofloxacin. The
toxic effects of Ciprofloxacin are irreversible after stoppage of this drug.
[Saadia Ahmed, Shalaby, Essam Mohamed Eid, Naglaa Ali Saber Sarg, Osama Foaad Ahmed and Hanan Ibrahim
Hussein. Development of Albino Rat Knee Joint Cavitation and the Effect of Ciprofloxacin and the Possible
Protective Role of Vitamin E. Nat Sci 2015;13(11):78-86]. (ISSN: 1545-0740). http://www.sciencepub.net/nature.
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