Short-term effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporotic patients.

Abstract

This study evaluated the short-term effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on bone mineral density (BMD). A total of 64 postmenopausal osteoporotic patients were recruited and randomized into 3 groups in 2015. Groups A (n=20) and B (n=21) patients received a single-session of low- or high-energy flux density (EFD) ESWT in the left hip, respectively, whereas group C (n=23) patients served as controls without the ESWT treatment. All patients self-administered alendronate sodium tablets orally for a year. The BMD of the lumbar spine (L2-L4), femoral neck, great tuberosity, and total left hip was measured before ESWT treatment and at 3, 6, and 12months using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). At 12months, the lumbar spine, femoral neck, great tuberosity, and total left hip BMD in all patients had increased (p<0.01). The increase in lumbar spine BMD in group A patients was higher than that in group B patients (p=0.03); other between-group differences were not observed (p=0.73, group A vs. C; p=0.06, group B vs. C). The femoral neck, great tuberosity, and total left hip BMD increases in group B patients were higher than that in either group A or C (p<0.01, group B vs. A; p<0.01, group A vs. C). This study showed that ESWT could efficiently improve the local BMD; relatively, the high dosage was effective.