The effect of shock wave treatment at the tendon-bone interface

Abstract

This study was performed to investigate the effect of shock wave treatment on the healing at tendon-bone interface. Thirty-six New Zealand White rabbits were used in this study. The anterior cruciate ligament was excised and replaced with the long digital extensor. The right knees (study group) were treated with 500 impulses of shock waves at 14 kV, while the left knees (control group) received no shock waves. Twenty-four rabbits were sacrificed at 1,<th>2,<th>4,<th>8,<th>12 and 24-week intervals. The specimens were studied with histomorphological examination and immunohistochemical stains for neovascularization and angiogenic growth factors. Twelve rabbits were sacrificed at 12 and 24 weeks for biomechanical analysis. The results demonstrated that the study group showed significantly more trabecular bone around the tendon and better bonding between bone and tendon as compared with the control group. The expressions of angiogenic growth factors were significantly higher in the study group than the control group. The tensile strength of the tendon-bone interface was significantly higher in the study group than the control group. In conclusion, shock wave treatment significantly improves the healing of the tendon-bone interface in a bone tunnel in rabbits. The effect of shock waves appears to be time-dependent.