Radiofrequency Cartilage Reshaping

Analysis of Nd:YAG laser‐mediated thermal damage in rabbit nasal septal cartilage

“…As expected, degree of injury increased with energy deposition, whereas shape change decreases dramatically at 40.7 W/cm 2 due to possible desiccation and ablation of cartilage tissue (Figs. [3][4][5]. The temperature history profiles generated by laser irradiation lead to reasonably accurate damage predictions that were derived from rate constants obtained using water bath immersion heating [23].…”

“…This similarity can be seen by comparing the rate process estimates of damage radii for corresponding laser dosimetry (Figs. [3][4][5]. For example, at 6 W, 8 seconds, the rate process model predicted the damage threshold (where O ¼ 1) to be approximately 2.4 mm from the center of laser exposure-or 4.8 mm in diameter; confocal microscopy revealed a damage diameter of 4.8 mm for the same laser dosimetry.…”

“…Cartilage thermoforming relies on the heating of mechanically deformed cartilage specimens to produce permanent shape change [1][2][3]. It is believed that laser cartilage reshaping (LCR) results from thermal interactions between heat, water, and the cartilage matrix proteins [4].…”

Identification of chondrocyte proliferation following laser irradiation, thermal injury, and mechanical trauma

“…Flow cytometry has previously been used to analyze chondrocytes as well as to assess chondrocyte viability and thermal damage to cartilage [5] following laser cartilage reshaping [6,7].…”

Temperature dependent change in equilibrium elastic modulus after thermally induced stress relaxation in porcine septal cartilage

“…In 2003, we introduced RF heating as an alternative method to laser technology for cartilage thermoforming [13]. Typically, RF surgical generators have output impedance higher than the load and can be considered voltage sources.…”