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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy
Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 10/2012

01-10-2012 | Experimental Study

Effects of radiofrequency energy on porcine articular cartilage: higher-power settings in ablation mode show lower thermal radiation injury

Authors: Ning Wang, Yu-Jie Liu, Jing Xue, Hai-Feng Li, Wei He, Jun-Liang Wang

Published in: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy | Issue 10/2012

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to compare the radiofrequency (RF) injury effect on cartilage in the different settings that are mostly used in clinical work under rigidly controlled laboratory conditions.

Methods

Twelve fresh porcine knees were used in our study. Five treatment areas were created on the femoral condyles of each knee: the control group, coagulation (setting 2) group, coagulation (setting 7) group, ablation (setting 2) group, and ablation (setting 7) group. Hematoxylin/eosin staining, dual fluorescence staining, and the GAG content were observed to evaluate the histological cartilage changes, vacuolar cell rate of chondrocytes, depth of chondrocyte death, and detection of GAG content.

Results

Vacuolar cell rates of chondrocytes in each experimental group were higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in vacuolar cell rate among experimental groups. Dual fluorescent staining showed that the ablation (setting 7) group had a smaller depth of cell death than did the coagulation (setting 2) group (P < 0.05); the other experimental groups showed no statistically significant difference (n.s.). In addition, there was no significant difference in GAG content between the experimental groups and control group (n.s.).

Conclusions

The coagulation mode results in heavier thermal radiation injury to chondrocytes than does the ablation mode. Higher-power settings in the ablation mode result in lower thermal radiation injury and may be most suitable for cartilage debridement.
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Metadata
Title
Effects of radiofrequency energy on porcine articular cartilage: higher-power settings in ablation mode show lower thermal radiation injury
Authors
Ning Wang
Yu-Jie Liu
Jing Xue
Hai-Feng Li
Wei He
Jun-Liang Wang
Publication date
01-10-2012
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy / Issue 10/2012
Print ISSN: 0942-2056
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7347
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1798-0

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