Osseous healing after CO2 laser osteotomy.

While some limited discussion of the role of CO2 laser application in orthopaedic surgery has appeared in professional literature, a search of orthopaedic and podiatric journals has failed to uncover reports of the laser's effects on bone healing. This study examined osteotomies created with an oscillating saw and a CO2 laser in a rabbit model. The results showed that bone healing was comparable in both groups, but that healing was delayed in the laser group because inert-appearing bone fragments seemed to inhibit the healing process. Further study is indicated to determine the mechanism by which the CO2 laser delayed healing and whether lasers can enhance healing under certain conditions.