Comparative study of excimer and erbium:YAG lasers for ablation of structural components of the knee

Sandor G. Vari M.D.; Wei-Qiang Shi; Maurits J. van der Veen; Michael C. Fishbein M.D.; J. M. Miller; Thanassis Papaioannou; Warren S. Grundfest M.D.

doi:10.1117/12.43986

1 May 1991 Comparative study of excimer and erbium:YAG lasers for ablation of structural components of the knee

Sandor G. Vari M.D., Wei-Qiang Shi, Maurits J. van der Veen, Michael C. Fishbein M.D., J. M. Miller, Thanassis Papaioannou, Warren S. Grundfest M.D.

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 1424, Lasers in Orthopedic, Dental, and Veterinary Medicine; (1991) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.43986
Event: Optics, Electro-Optics, and Laser Applications in Science and Engineering, 1991, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

This study was designed to compare the efficiency and thermal effect of a 135 ns pulsed-stretched XeCl excimer laser (308 nm) and a free-running Erbium:YAG laser (2940 nm) with 200 microsecond(s) pulse duration for ablation of knee joint structures (hyaline and fibrous cartilage, tendon and bone). The radiant exposure used for tissue ablation ranged from 2 to 15 J/cm² for the XeCl excimer and from 33 to 120 J/cm² for Er:YAG. The excimer and Er:YAG lasers were operated at 4 and 5 Hz respectively. The ablative laser energy was delivered to tissue through fibers. Ablation rates of soft tissues (hyaline and fibrous cartilage, tendon) varied from 8.5 to 203 micrometers /pulse for excimer and from 8.2 to 273 micrometers /pulse for Er:YAG lasers. Ablation rates of soft tissues are linearly dependent on the radiant exposure. Within the range of parameters tested all the tissues except the bone could be rapidly ablated by both lasers. Bone ablation was much less efficient, requiring 15 J/cm² and 110 J/cm² radiant exposure for excimer and Er:YAG lasers to ablate 9.5 and 8.2 micrometers tissue per pulse. However, excimer laser ablation produced less thermal damage in the tissues studied compared to Er:YAG at the same laser parameters. The authors conclude that both lasers are capable of efficient knee joint tissue ablation. XeCl excimer laser requires an order of magnitude less energy than Er:YAG laser for comparable tissue ablation.

Citation Download Citation

Sandor G. Vari M.D., Wei-Qiang Shi, Maurits J. van der Veen, Michael C. Fishbein M.D., J. M. Miller, Thanassis Papaioannou, and Warren S. Grundfest M.D. "Comparative study of excimer and erbium:YAG lasers for ablation of structural components of the knee", Proc. SPIE 1424, Lasers in Orthopedic, Dental, and Veterinary Medicine, (1 May 1991); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.43986

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