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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 32/3/688    most recent 0363546503258858v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (8) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kaplan, L. D. Articles by Farkas, D. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kaplan, L. D. Articles by Farkas, D. L. Related Collections Degenerative Joint Disease Chondral/cartilage Laser/Radiofrequency energy

Temperature Requirements for Altering the Morphology of Osteoarthritic and Nonarthritic Articular Cartilage

In Vitro Thermal Alteration of Articular Cartilage

Lee D. Kaplan, MD^*, Dan Ionescu, MS, John M. Ernsthausen, James P. Bradley, MD, Freddie H. Fu, MD, DPs(Hon), ScD(Hon)^,,* and Daniel L. Farkas, PhD^,||

From the ^* University of Wisconsin Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Madison, Wisconsin, the Center for Light Microscope Imaging and Biotechnology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and ^|| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Los Angeles, California

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Freddie H. Fu, MD, Kaufmann Building, Suite 1010, 3471 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Background: Radiofrequency and laser thermal chondroplasty procedures are performed to debride and smooth fibrillated, articular cartilage.

Hypothesis: Temperature requirements necessary to achieve morphological change will be lower in fibrillated arthritic cartilage as compared with nonarthritic articular cartilage.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: A thermal cell-culture chamber was mounted on a stereoscopic microscope and coordinated with a custom temperature-control program. Nonarthritic and osteoarthritic articular cartilage specimens were sectioned into full-thickness slices. The articular sections were exposed to temperatures incrementally from 37ºC to 75ºC. Real-time, digital capture microscopy was used to visualize and analyze the morphological changes undergone by the articular cartilage specimens.

Results: Arthritic articular cartilage displayed morphological change at 56.5 ± 1.7ºC. Loss of fibrillation was the initial morphological change visualized. Continued thermal exposure caused a shrinkage effect of the entire tissue section that was similar to the change seen in nonarthritic sections. Nonarthritic cartilage displayed morphological change at 60.9 ± 1.9ºC.

Conclusions: Consistent characteristic morphological changes were found at distinct temperatures in osteoarthritic and nonarthritic articular cartilage.

Clinical Relevance: This information begins to establish the thermal parameters required for morphological change of osteoarthritic articular cartilage.

Key Words: radiofrequency • chondroplasty • cartilage • temperature

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