{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T14:28:39Z","timestamp":1780496919293,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,26]],"date-time":"2022-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1645833600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The antifibrotic effect of atorvastatin has already been demonstrated in several organ systems. In the present study, a rat model was used to investigate the effect of atorvastatin on posttraumatic joint contracture. Forty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were equally randomized into an atorvastatin group and a control group. After initial joint trauma, knee joints were immobilized for intervals of 2 weeks (n = 16) or 4 weeks (n = 16) or immobilized for 4 weeks with subsequent remobilization for another 4 weeks (n = 16). Starting from the day of surgery, animals received either atorvastatin or placebo daily. After euthanasia at week 2, 4 or 8, joint contracture was determined, histological examinations were performed, and gene expression was assessed. The results suggest that the joint contracture was primarily arthrogenic. Atorvastatin failed to significantly affect contracture formation and showed a reduction in myofibroblast numbers to 98 \u00b1 58 (control: 319 \u00b1 113, p &lt; 0.01) and a reduction in joint capsule collagen to 60 \u00b1 8% (control: 73 \u00b1 9%, p &lt; 0.05) at week 2. Gene expression of \u03b1-smooth muscle actin (\u03b1-SMA), collagen type I, transforming growth factor \u03b21 (TGF-\u03b21) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was not significantly affected by atorvastatin. Atorvastatin decreases myofibroblast number and collagen deposition but does not result in an improvement in joint mobility.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics14030523","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,27]],"date-time":"2022-02-27T20:48:33Z","timestamp":1645994913000},"page":"523","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Pleiotropic Long-Term Effects of Atorvastatin on Posttraumatic Joint Contracture in a Rat Model"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Erik","family":"Wegner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ekaterina","family":"Slotina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tim","family":"Mickan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sebastian","family":"Truffel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charlotte","family":"Arand","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4455-1018","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Wagner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ulrike","family":"Ritz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pol M.","family":"Rommens","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erol","family":"Gercek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philipp","family":"Drees","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Baranowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomatics Group, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"524","DOI":"10.1172\/JCI31487","article-title":"Common and unique mechanisms regulate fibrosis in various fibroproliferative diseases","volume":"117","author":"Wynn","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. 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