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World J Exp Med. Sep 20, 2026; 16(3): 124656
Published online Sep 20, 2026. doi: 10.5493/wjem.124656
Published online Sep 20, 2026. doi: 10.5493/wjem.124656
Convection-based vs conduction-based cooling in rehabilitation: A cadaveric porcine study of surface and intra-articular temperature reduction
Mariam A Ibrahim, Bassant Abdelhameed, Orthopedic and Trauma Rehabilitation Unit, Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery Department, Assiut University Hospital, Asyut 71515, Egypt
Amir Beltagi, Department of Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
Mohammad Masoud, Department of Orthopaedics, Assiut University Hospital, Asyut 71515, Egypt
Sara Abdel-Aal Mohamed, Department of Parasitology, Assiut University, Asyut 71515, Egypt
Ahmed A Khalifa, Department of Orthopaedic, Qena Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, South Valley University, Qina 83523, Egypt
Ahmed A Khalifa, Department of Orthopedic, Aster Sanad Hospital, Riyadh 13216, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Ibrahim MA and Abdelhameed B performed data analysis; Ibrahim MA conceived and designed the study, coordinated data collection, interpreted the findings, and drafted the manuscript; Abdelhameed B contributed to data entry and provided methodological support; Beltagi A assisted with study methodology, offered statistical guidance, and critically reviewed the manuscript; Masoud M provided clinical supervision, contributed surgical expertise, and assisted in interpreting clinical data; Mohamed SAA obtained the ethical committee approval, supported the statistical analysis, validated the data, and assisted with manuscript editing; Khalifa AA provided senior oversight, contributed to study conceptualization, assisted with interpreting results, and critically revised the final manuscript. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI-assisted tools were used only in a limited supportive capacity during the preparation of this manuscript. Grammarly was used for language polishing, including grammar, clarity, formatting, and some paraphrasing. ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used to enhance the manuscript presentation and the visual quality of the figures, without altering, fabricating, or manipulating the underlying scientific data or results. No part of the manuscript's scientific content was independently generated by AI. AI tools were not used for study design, data generation, statistical analysis, interpretation of the results, or formulation of the scientific conclusions. No figures or images containing AI-generated scientific data were created. All AI-assisted modifications were critically reviewed and verified by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, scientific integrity, and final content of the manuscript.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt (approval No. 06/2025/0390).
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: All the data related to the current study are mentioned within the manuscript.
Corresponding author: Ahmed A Khalifa, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor, FRCS, Department of Orthopaedic, Qena Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, South Valley University, Kilo 6 Qena-Safaga Highway, Qina 83523, Egypt. ahmed_adel0391@med.svu.edu.eg
Received: June 23, 2026
Revised: July 14, 2026
Accepted: July 30, 2026
Published online: September 20, 2026
Processing time: 91 Days and 14.3 Hours
Revised: July 14, 2026
Accepted: July 30, 2026
Published online: September 20, 2026
Processing time: 91 Days and 14.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Thermal transfer from various cryotherapy systems was evaluated using a cadaveric porcine knee model. Subdermal, intramuscular, and intra-articular temperatures were measured with thermocouples during cooling using ThermoCuff, two SootheAway circulating-pad systems, and an ambient control. The primary endpoint was the change in temperature at 20 minutes. ThermoCuff was relatively better in achieving early cooling, particularly in subdermal and intra-articular sites, with intra-articular temperature decreasing by about 10.0 °C. Intramuscular cooling was modest across all systems. These preliminary results indicate that convection-based cryotherapy may achieve apparently higher deep-tissue cooling than circulating-pad systems; however, in vivo validation is required before clinical application.