title: Comparison of the erbium-yttrium aluminum garnet and carbon dioxide lasers for in vitro bone and cartilage ablation.
abstract: The in vitro bone- and cartilage-ablation characteristics of the solid-state erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser were compared to those of the carbon dioxide laser. Ablations of fresh, frozen cadaver septal cartilage and maxillary sinus bone were performed using total energies between 1 and 6 J. Specimens were studied using hematoxylin and eosin stain and digitized, computer-assisted measurements of 35-mm photographs. Erbium-yttrium aluminum garnet-ablated bone averaged 5 microns of adjacent tissue thermal injury, compared with 67 microns with carbon dioxide-ablated bone. Erbium-yttrium aluminum garnet-ablated cartilage averaged 2 microns of adjacent tissue thermal injury, compared with 21 microns with the carbon dioxide-ablated cartilage. The tissue-ablation characteristics of the erbium-yttrium aluminum garnet laser are promising for future otolaryngologic applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md. 20814-4799.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: van de Merwe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reinisch
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002356:Cartilage / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D004871:Erbium; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D015019:Yttrium
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D015019:Yttrium; D004871:Erbium; D000535:Aluminum