Heat distribution and heat transport in bone during radiofrequency catheter ablation.
BACKGROUND
To assess the feasibility of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in large bone tumours, the heat distribution in cortical bone and marrow around inserted electrodes was measured.


METHODS
Fresh bovine cadaver tibial bones were locally heated through drill holes for a maximum of half an hour using water-cooled single radiofrequency electrodes (Radionics Instruments Inc) by pulsed energy. Temperatures were measured in the marrow canal as well as in cortical bone by thermocouples at various distances from the inserted probes.


RESULTS
Perpendicular to the probe, hyperthermia of more than 50 degrees C could be created in bone marrow in a sphere of approximately 3 cm, and of approximately 1 cm in cortical bone.


CONCLUSIONS
As irreversible cellular damage can be expected when increasing the temperature to 50 degrees C for a duration of 6 min, this method may be effective for the minimal invasive ablation of neoplasms within human bone in cigar-shaped regions of approximately 3-cm diameter.
Universitaetsklinik fuer Orthopaedie, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Franz.Rachbauer@uibk.ac.at
F
F
Rachbauer
J
J
Mangat
G
G
Bodner
P
P
Eichberger
M
M
Krismer
D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D001853:Bone Marrow; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002417:Cattle; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D013977:Tibia