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J Knee Surg 2004; 17(2): 99-108
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1248205
Original Article

© 2004 Thieme Medical Publishers

Bipolar and Monopolar Radiofrequency Treatment of Osteoarthritic Knee Articular Cartilage – Acute and Temporal Effects on Cartilage Compressive Stiffness, Permeability, Cell Synthesis, and Extracellular Matrix Composition

James L. Cook, Keiichi Kuroki, Keith Kenter, Kevin Marberry, Travis Brawner, Timothy Geiger, Prakash Jayabalan, B. Sonny Bal
  • The Comparative Orthopaedic Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo
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Publication History

Publication Date:
27 January 2010 (online)

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ABSTRACT

The cellular, biochemical, biomechanical, and histologic effects of radiofrequency-generated heat on osteoarthritic cartilage were assessed. Articular cartilage explants (n=240) from 26 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were divided based on Outerbridge grade (I or II/III) and randomly assigned to receive no treatment (controls) or monopolar or bipolar radiofrequency at 15 or 30 W.

Both potentially beneficial and harmful effects of radiofrequency treatment of articular cartilage were noted. It will be vital to correlate data from in vitro and in vivo study of radiofrequency thermal chondroplasty to determine the clinical usefulness of this technique.