Arthroscopic laser surgery: a revisitation.

Laser surgery has been known for 38 years-since 1961. In relative terms, this short period of existence has produced a dramatic effect on medicine. We would anticipate a geometrically progressive increase in the use of laser tools over the next 100 years. Lasers will probably be used at lower levels of intensity in the future for two reasons: absence of complications and effectiveness as a noninvasive anti-inflammatory tool. Other electroinductive energy tools and other wavelengths will become increasingly important in medicine. This is true particularly in repair, soft-tissue surgery, photochemical therapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, and inductive therapy. The future is bright for laser and laser-related tools. As the price comes down, usage will increase dramatically. Soon, tissue-specific wavelengths will be available.