title: Cell vitality in cartilage tissue culture following excimer laser radiation: an in vitro examination.
abstract: Excimer laser is used for cartilage debridement, although the resulting cell damage is yet unclear. For examination of cartilage survival after treatment, we used short-term tissue cultures of human joint cartilage. Specimens were treated with a XeCl-Excimer laser using different laser parameters, pulse energies, and repetition rates. Following treatment, discs were cultured for 8 days prior to examination. In contrast to the 20 microns damage zone as instant visible effect in histomorphologic examinations, we found a 0.3 mm zone in which approximately 50% of cartilage cells had morphological signs of damage on light microscopic examinations. Autoradiography revealed that cartilage cells in an 0.5-0.7 mm area surrounding the laser craters had no collagen synthesis. This examination indicates that cell damage of excimer laser is higher than expected from prior studies.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Klinik, Universität Ulm, Orthopädische Abteilung des Rehabilitations-krankenhauses Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krebs
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Scharf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001345:Autoradiography; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male