Observations of carbon dioxide laser and bone bur in the osteotomy of the rabbit tibia

The tissue responses of a rabbit tibia to superpulse laser osteotomy, continuous-wave laser osteotomy, and bur osteotomy were compared. Healing of the bone occurred after use of all three modalities, but there was a delay in healing after laser osteotomy when compared with bur osteotomy. Laser osteotomy is feasible, but improvements will be needed to make such bone cutting as efficient and controllable as the rotating bur.