The development of efficient high-power lasersystems for use in surgery, especially in arthroscopic fields, leads to a new push for all endoscopic techniques. Both techniques, laser and endoscope, complete each other in an ideal way and allow applications which could not be reached with conventional techniques. One of the newer laser types is the excimer laser, which will be a good choice for surface treatment because of its very considerate interaction with tissue. One example is the ablation or smoothing of articular cartilage and meniscal shaving in orthopaedics. On the other hand, the power of this laser system is high enough to cut tissue, for instance in the lateral release, and offers therefore an alternative to the mechanical and electrical instruments. All lasers can only work fine with effective delivery systems. Sometimes there is only a single fiber, which becomes very stiff at diameters of more than 800 micrometers . This fiber often allows only the tangential treatment of tissue, most of the laser power is lost in the background. New fiber systems with many, sometimes hundreds of very thin single fibers, could offer a solution. Special handpieces and fibersystems offer distinct advantages in small joint arthroscopy, especially those for use with excimer lasers will be discussed.

Date Published: 1 May 1991
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 1424, Lasers in Orthopedic, Dental, and Veterinary Medicine, (1 May 1991); doi: 10.1117/12.43990

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1424:
Lasers in Orthopedic, Dental, and Veterinary Medicine
Stephen J. O'Brien M.D.; Douglas N. Dederich D.D.S.; Harvey Wigdor D.D.S.; Ava Micky Trent D.V.M., Editor(s)