THE EFFECT OF RADIOFREQUENCY ENERGY ON THE LENGTH AND TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES OF THE GLENOHUMERAL JOINT CAPSULE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of radio frequency energy on the length and temperature properties of the gleno humeral joint capsule in a sheep model. Dissected glenohumeral joint c apsules were placed in a 37 degrees C tissue bath and treated with rad iofrequency energy at temperature settings of 60 degrees, 65 degrees, 70 degrees, 75 degrees and 80 degrees C. Pretreatment and posttreatmen t tissue length was measured, and tissue temperature changes were reco rded at distances of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mm away from the probe path. T issue shrinkage was found to be less than 4% for treatments below 65 d egrees C, and increased to 14% for treatments at 80 degrees C. Posttre atment lengths of tissues treated at 65 degrees, 70 degrees, 75 degree s, 80 degrees C were significantly shorter than pretreatment lengths. The maximum tissue temperatures directly below the probe were observed to be 3.7 degrees to 6.7 degrees C lower than the set temperatures. A s the distance from the probe was increased, the tissue temperature wa s found to decrease, reaching a value of less than 45 degrees C at 1.5 mm for all five treatment temperature settings. This study provided b asic information on temperature settings, tissue shrinkage, and tissue temperature distribution of radiofrequency treatment.