Optical properties of damaged and undamaged muscle tissue studied in high-energy missile wounds.
Modern surgical treatment of wounds caused by high-energy traumata includes the excision of all non-viable muscle tissue. To judge the transition zone between viable and non-viable tissue correctly, however, it takes a highly qualified surgeon, experienced in high-energy trauma surgery. Less skilled surgeons are tending to leave some non-viable tissue behind in the wound, which often leads to infection and re-operation and causes, among other things, extended suffering and hospitalization for the patient. Among the visible and palpable properties serving as criteria for the surgeon is that the non-viable tissue is dark purple, whereas the viable tissue is of lighter red colours. The perception of colour is depending on the optical properties of a surface and on the composition of the light illuminating it. A pilot study has shown that the colour contrast between viable and non-viable muscle tissue can be enhanced by using colour filters. In this investigation optical properties for muscle tissue in different degrees of viability have been scrutinized. It seems to be possible to find a clinically applicable method to help the surgeon in his work.
D000818:Animals; D003116:Color; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation; D010781:Photography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D013552:Swine; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*