title: Histologic evaluation of the depth of necrosis produced by argon beam coagulation: implications for use as adjuvant treatment of bone tumors.
abstract: Argon beam coagulation (ABC) has been advocated as adjuvant treatment after curettage of aggressive benign bone tumors. This study was done to evaluate the depth of necrosis in cancellous bone treated with ABC. A 6-month-old pig was sacrificed and 20 1.5-cm cortical windows were created in the metaphyseal areas of the humeri, femora, and tibiae, exposing the underlying cancellous bone. The defects were randomly assigned to four groups: A, control; B, ABC at 50 W; C, 100 W; and D, 150 W. Histologic evaluation determined the depth of necrosis at each setting: A, 0.1 +/- 0.1 mm; B, 1.0 +/- 0.5 mm; C, 2.9 +/- 1.0 mm; and D, 4.2 +/- 0.7 mm. There were statistically significant differences between each of the experimental groups and the control (p < .0001), between groups B and C (p < .0001), and groups C and D (p = .0002).
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Campbell Clinic, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN 38104, USA. rheck@campbellclinic.com
authors: Robert K
authors: RK
authors: Heck
authors: Wood D
authors: WD
authors: Pope
authors: Jae I
authors: JI
authors: Ahn
authors: Richard A
authors: RA
authors: Smith
authors: Bruce L
authors: BL
authors: Webber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054018:Lasers, Excimer / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009336:Necrosis; D013552:Swine