title: Using optical coherence tomography to guide articular cartilage ablation.
abstract: Current clinical imaging technologies are not capable of accurately resolving the microscopic components of articular cartilage. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a recently developed imaging modality analogous to ultrasound--OCT measures backreflection of infrared light instead of sound. In the study reported here, we wanted to determine the efficacy of OCT for monitoring cartilage laser ablation. Real-time imaging was conducted on bovine cartilage ablated by an argon laser in vitro. Image sequences were generated illustrating the extent of tissue degradation postablation. The images accurately correlated with histology. These results indicate that current ablation procedures could benefit from OCT guidance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Nirlep A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Xingde
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Stamper
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brezinski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002417:Cattle; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence