Treatment effect of medial arterial calcification in below-knee after Auryon laser atherectomy using micro-CT and histologic evaluation.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of medial arterial calcification (MAC) fracture following Auryon laser atherectomy using micro-CT and histologic evaluation in an atherosclerotic human cadaveric limb model.

METHODS: Two below-the-knee calcified arterial segments from human cadaver limbs underwent treatment with the Auryon laser system with or without plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA). Micro-CT and angiography were performed before and after treatment followed by histological evaluation of regions showing calcium disruption.

RESULTS: All treatment zones were successfully treated with the Auryon laser (n = 9). Six of 9 treatment zones showed calcium fracture on micro-CT. Each treatment zone was further subdivided using micro-CT analysis (36 evaluated sections) of which 18 sections revealed calcium fracture. Sections with calcium fracture had significantly more confluent and uninterrupted circumferential calcification than sections without calcium fracture (arc of calcification 360.0 [323.7-360.0] vs 312.8 [247.4-314.2] degree, p = 0.007), whereas there were no differences in size of calcium burden (3.4 [2.8-3.9] vs 2.8 [1.3-4.6] mm2 , p = 0.46). No arterial dissection or rupture was seen.

CONCLUSIONS: Auryon laser atherectomy produced fractures of medial arterial calcification in this cadaveric human atherosclerotic peripheral artery model. This effect was observed in arterial segments with a pattern of circumferential uninterrupted calcification (i.e. larger arc of calcification) regardless of calcium burden. Our pilot data suggests Auryon laser may be a promising therapy for calcified lesions.