LASER NERVE REPAIR BY SOLID PROTEIN BAND TECHNIQUE - I - IDENTIFICATION OF OPTIMAL LASER DOSE, POWER, AND SOLDER SURFACE-AREA

Thirty-four tibial nerves in 17 adult male wistar rats were repaired b y applying protein bands longitudinally across the nerve join. The ban ds were then irradiated with a fibre-coupled diode laser (lambda = 810 nm). The relations among the laser weld breaking force, the power, an d the solder surface area were investigated, while maintaining a consi stent ratio between the total mass of protein solder in a band and tot al laser energy delivered (the laser energy dose). When this laser ene rgy dose was held constant, the average breaking force of the laser we lds irradiated by 72 mW laser output power was weaker than that reache d after 90 mW laser radiation. There is a linear relation between the solder breaking force and the solder surface area when band thickness, laser power, and laser dose are unvaried. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.