Use of 1.5% glycine as a nonconductive fluid medium for arthroscopic electrosurgery

Sixty-five surgical cases were studied to determine whether 1.5% glycine, used as an irrigation solution during electrosurgery to the knee, had any histological effect on the synovial cells or the articular cartilage. Histologic specimens of the articular cartilage were stained with Safranin-O to assess proteoglycans-enhanced chrondrocyte function, and the synovium was stained with pentachrome. The results indicated that there were no adverse effects, either short term or long term, when viewing both the synovium and the articular cartilage histopathologically after glycine irrigation subsequent to the electrothermal procedure.