An experimental study on the application of extracorporeal shock waves in the treatment of tendon injuries: preliminary report

Abstract

The use of low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has recently been introduced in pseudoarthrosis, fracture, and wound healing for both clinical and experimental purposes. In this study, we created an experimental rat model to investigate the histopathological and biochemical effects of ESWT in the healing of tendon injury that may accompany fractures. Twenty-eight rats were used for the histopathological investigation. The right achilles tendon of the rat was cut and then sutured, using Modified Kessler stitches method. Five hundred shock waves, set at 14kV, were applied to the achilles tendon under fluoroscopic guidance. Fourteen rats that underwent a sham operation served as the control group. Biochemical studies were done on 20 rats, divided into four groups of 5 rats in each. The first and second groups received 500 shock waves, at 14kV, after the cutting and repairing of the Achilles tendon. To measure hydroxyproline levels, the rats in the first and second groups were killed on postoperative days 3 and 9, respectively. The third and fourth groups served as controls. Hydroxyproline levels were found to be high in the study groups. The histopathological findings and the increased hydroxyproline levels revealed that ESWT may facilitate tendon healing after trauma.