title: Characterisation of debris from laser and mechanical cutting of bone.
abstract: Laser cutting of bones has been proposed as a technology in orthopaedic surgery. In this short study, the laser-bone interaction was examined using a pulsed erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet laser and compared to a conventional cutting technique. Microscopic analysis revealed the nature of waste debris and showed higher proportions of finer particles for conventional sagittal sawing compared to laser cutting.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rachmanis
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Garrett B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: McGuinness
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK j.a.mcgeough@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McGeough
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005269:Femur / Q000166:cytology* / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000601:surgery*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D010027:Osteotomy / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012756:Sheep
keywords: Biomedical devices; bone properties; medical lasers; orthopaedic procedures; surgical systems