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Review
. 2022 Jan 20:9:822286.
doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.822286. eCollection 2021.

The Arthroscopic Application of Radiofrequency in Treatment of Articular Cartilage Lesions

Chaosheng Lin  1   2   3 , Zhenhan Deng  1   2   3   4 , Jianyi Xiong  1   2   3 , Wei Lu  1   3 , Kang Chen  1   3 , Yizi Zheng  3 , Weimin Zhu  1   2   3   4
Affiliations
Review

The Arthroscopic Application of Radiofrequency in Treatment of Articular Cartilage Lesions

Chaosheng Lin et al. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Articular cartilage lesion is a common disease to be treated by arthroscopic surgery. It will eventually progress to osteoarthritis without proper management, which can affect patients' work and daily life seriously. Although mechanical debridement and laser have been used clinically for its treatment, due to their respective drawbacks, radiofrequency has drawn increasing attention from clinicians as a new technique with more advantages. However, the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency have also been questioned. In this article, the scope of application of radiofrequency was reviewed following an introduction of its development history and mechanism, and the methods to ensure the safety and effectiveness of radiofrequency through power and temperature control were summarized.

Keywords: articular cartilage; cartilage lesions; chondroplasty; radiofrequency; thermal energy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Radiofrequency debrides the damaged cartilage surface to create a smooth cartilage surface. After treatment, MMP-13 tissue immunoreactivity increases, which may lead to a negative shift in the balance between synthesis and degradation of the ECM. IL-6 plays a role in promoting and inhibiting the chondrocyte proliferation. IL-6 and IL-8 promote the proliferation of mesenchymal stem cell. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into chondrocytes and enhance cartilage repair. Secretion of MMP-1 and MMP-2 is significantly reduced, which may help prevent further degradation. Red lines = Stimulating; Green lines = Suppressing; Black line = Differentiation.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The mechanism of monopolar radiofrequency energy (mRFE).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The mechanism of bipolar radiofrequency energy (bRFE).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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