Abstract

Erbium lasers have been shown to effectively cut both bone and soft tissue leaving minimal thermal damage to tissue remaining at the cut edge. In a comparison of skin cuts made with either an Erbium laser or a scalpel, significant differences between healing were not found.¹ A study comparing the healing of bones cut in situ with a saw and an Erbium laser indicated delayed healing at the laser cut sites. This delay may have been caused by the destruction of osteocytes on the endosteal surface.² Our goal was to investigate the healing process in bone allografts

© 1991 Optical Society of America