New Trends in Interstitial Laser Photocoagulation of Bones

Interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP) was performed in experimental models prior to clinical trials to determine the feasibility of bone photocoagulation using an 805-nm diode laser and to define parameters influencing lesion size and shape. Laser energy was applied in continuous-wave mode at a power of 2 W to an ex vivo freshly ablated pig femur. Two hundred and eighty ILPs were performed followed by histologic examinations to determine the coagulation size with a freshly cleaved fiber tip compared to a precharred fiber tip. Another study was designed to determine the temperatures achieved in bone using ILP and to correlate them with histologic findings. Histologic examination has underestimated the coagulation size with precharred fibers that varied from 3.4 mm (200 J) to 9.2 mm (1200 J) in diameter. Thermal data were significantly different with presumed lesions of 16 mm in diameter for 1200 J energy.