308-nm excimer laser ablation of human cartilage

摘要

The XeCl excimer laser was investigated as an ablating tool for human fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage. Quantitative measurements were made of tissue ablation rates as a function of fluence in meniscal fibrocartilage and articular hyaline cartilage. A force of 1.47 Newtons was applied to an 800 $mu@m fiber with the laser delivering a range of fluences (40 to 190 mj/mm$+2$/) firing at a frequency of 5 Hz. To assess the effect of repetition rate on ablation rate, a set of measurements was made at a constant fluence of 60 mj/mm$+2$/, with the repetition rate varying from 10 to 40 Hz. Histologic and morphometric analysis was performed using light microscopy. The results of these studies revealed that the ablation rate was directly proportional to fluence over the range tested. Fibrocartilage was ablated at a rate 2.56 times faster than hyaline cartilage at the maximum fluence tested. Repetition rate had no effect on the penetration per pulse. Adjacent tissue damage was noted to be minimal (10 - 70 $mu@m).