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.
Interstitial laser photocoagulation (ILP) - bone
