Bipolar and monopolar radiofrequency treatment of osteoarthritic knee articular cartilage: acute and temporal effects on cartilage compressive stiffness, permeability, cell synthesis, and extracellular matrix composition.
The cellular, biochemical, biomechanical, and histologic effects of radiofrequency-generated heat on osteoarthritic cartilage were assessed. Articular cartilage explants (n=240) from 26 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were divided based on Outerbridge grade (I or II/III) and randomly assigned to receive no treatment (controls) or monopolar or bipolar radiofrequency at 15 or 30 W. Both potentially beneficial and harmful effects of radiofrequency treatment of articular cartilage were noted. It will be vital to correlate data from in vitro and in vivo study of radiofrequency thermal chondroplasty to determine the clinical usefulness of this technique.
Cook
James L
JL
Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
Kuroki
Keiichi
K
Kenter
Keith
K
Marberry
Kevin
K
Brawner
Travis
T
Geiger
Timothy
T
Jayabalan
Prakash
P
Bal
B Sonny
BS
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
D024042:Collagen Type I; D024043:Collagen Type II; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans