The cryosurgical ablation of bone tissue by
means of a new miniature cryoprobe -- evaluation of the probe and
adaption of the method to in vitro human bone.
Popken F, Bertram C, Konig P, Rutt J,
Land M, Hackenbroch MH.
Klinik und Poliklinik fur Orthopadie der Universitat zu Koln, Josef
Stelzmannstr. 9, 50924 Koln, Germany. fpopkenm@aol.com
Until now, modern miniature cryoprobes have been
used successfully for the local destruction of soft-tissue tumors
without damaging adjacent healthy tissue. In this study, the methodology
of cryoablation was applied to bone, and the freezing effect as
well as the cooling capacity of the probe were examined. Freezing
was performed by cooling one or two probes, with a diameter of 3.2
mm, to -180 degrees C with liquid nitrogen. The cooling capacity
of the probes was determined under optic and thermic control in
a homogenous reference gel (gelatin), followed by an in vitro measurement
on human bone. The simultaneous use of 2 probes resulted in a synergistic
effect which produced an almost spherical expansion of frozen area
in the homogenous gelatin. In vitro freezing of human tibiae produced
equivalent freezing temperatures, with one or two probes, in comparison
to the homogenous gelatin. An adequate tissue cooling of bone matrix
can be achieved through the use of one or more miniature cryoprobes
so that after in vivo testing, the use of this probe could possibly
become an alternative or supplement to the surgical resection of
pathologic bone processes.
Publication Types:
· Evaluation Studies
PMID: 11927992 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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