Effects Of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Research Articles

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a potential therapeutic tool for breast cancer related lymphedema: a narrative review of in vitro, animal and clinical studies

Background: The treatment of breast cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) focuses on the alleviation symptoms. One of the innovative, non-invasive therapies used for this condition is extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). Aim of the study: To review the available literature and evaluate the effectiveness of ESWT in the treatment of secondary lymphedema (in vitro works, animal experiments) and lymphedema associated with the treatment of breast cancer. Material and methods: The scientific literature review was conducted from October to December 2020. The review was carried out by searching scientifically recognized medical databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE and PEDro. Date restrictions were not applied. As there are only a few clinical studies assessing the effectiveness of ESWT on the reduction of lymphedema, case reports, animal experiments and in vitro works were included in the review. Articles written in a language other than English were excluded. Results: In total, the analysis included twelve studies, including seven clinical trials, one case report, three animal experiments and one in vitro test. Conclusions: Based on the results of the analyzed articles, ESWT can be an effective therapeutic tool for lymphedema occurring after breast cancer treatment. Unfortunately, the level of evidence is relatively weak since the number of publications on this subject is still quite low. The accumulated results indicate the need for further clinical trials.

Response to “Letter Regarding: Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy”

Response to “Letter Regarding: Effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy”

Extracorporeal shock wave as adjuvant therapy for wrist and hand spasticity in post-stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundStroke patients often present with upper limb spasticity which impairs the functional status of patients. Recently, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is reported to be a safe, non-invasive, alternative treatment for spasticity. Many articles have been published on the effect of ESWT on lower limb spasticity, but only few of them had focused on upper limb spasticity, so the aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and electrophysiological effect of ESWT on wrist and hand spasticity of chronic stroke patients and its impact on functional performance. In this monocentric study, forty chronic stroke patients with upper limb spasticity were recruited and randomly allocated into two groups. Both groups continued to receive conventional stroke rehabilitative program, while group I received three sessions of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) 1 week apart.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in wrist and hand spasticity after treatment and at follow-up in group I compared to group II (Modified Ashworth Scale after rESWT 1.45 ± 0.16, 2.90 ± 0.18 and follow-up 1.55 ± 0.13, 3.00 ± .0.15 in groups I and II, respectively). Also, there was a significant improvement of wrist control and hand function after treatment and at follow-up in group I compared to group II (p < 0.001). The improvement of pinch grip was noticed at follow-up with a significant difference relative to baseline in group I (p < 0.05). Hmax/Mmax ratio was significantly decreased at follow-up in group I compared to group II (p < 0.001).ConclusionESWT is a valuable adjuvant treatment for spasticity of the hand and wrist in stroke patients which is reflected as improvement of functional activity.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04312581. Registered on 18 March 2020.

Clinical effectiveness of shockwave therapy in lateral elbow tendinopathy: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy compared with other interventions on pain, grip strength and disability in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PEDro, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and clinical trial registries. Review methods: We included randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy alone or as an additive intervention compared with sham or other interventions. Pain intensity, grip strength and elbow disability were used as primary outcome measures. We assessed methodological quality with the PEDro score and quality of evidence with the GRADE approach. Results: Twenty-seven studies with 1871 patients were finally included. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy reduced pain intensity at mid-term follow-up (standardized mean difference: −1.21, 95% confidence interval:−1.53, −0.89, P < 0.001) and improved grip strength at very short- (mean difference:3.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.91, 6.94, P = 0.01) and short-term follow-up (mean difference:4.87, 95% confidence interval:2.24, 7.50, P < 0.001) compared with sham treatment. However, no clinically significant results were found between comparators in all outcomes and follow-up times. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy presented clinically better compared to Laser in grip strength at short-term (mean difference:3.50, 95% confidence interval:2.40, 4.60, P < 0.001) and ultrasound in pain intensity at very-short-term follow-up (standardized mean difference: −1.54, 95% confidence interval: −2.60, −0.48, P = 0.005). Conclusion: Low to moderate certainty of evidence suggests that there are no clinical benefits of extracorporeal shockwave therapy compared to sham interventions or corticosteroid injections. Based on very-low and moderate certainty of evidence, extracorporeal shockwave therapy outperforms against Laser and ultrasound, respectively. Level of Evidence: Therapy, level 1a.

Effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Clinical and Neurophysiological Indices of Spasticity Inpatients With Upper Motor Neuron Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective: Spasticity is one of the components of an Upper Motor Neuron (UMN) lesion that occurs usually after a period of flaccidity in the form of velocity-dependent resistance to passive stretch. Spasticity is a significant cause of limited mobility and disability in neurological diseases. There are several clinical approaches to control spasticity. Recently, Shock Wave Therapy (SWT) has been reported to be a new, safe, and effective method for reducing spasticity for people with upper motor neuron lesions. We conducted a meta-analysis of relevant clinical trials to assess the effect of applying SWT on spasticity in UMN lesions. Materials &amp; Methods: An electronic search was performed in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and Google scholar from January 2005 to January 2020. Studies were included if they measured spasticity with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) or/and neurophysiological indices in patients with stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy. The keywords of muscle hypertonia or spasticity, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy were used. Two independent researchers searched articles, screened eligible studies against the inclusion criteria, and assessed the methodological quality of included studies. The methodological quality of studies was evaluated using the Downs and Black tool. The difference between the means was considered as the effect size in the MAS and Hoffman reflex/motor response (H/M) ratio before and after the intervention with 95% CI in random-effects models. Analyzes were performed using STATA software version 11. Results: The initial search led to the retrieval of 98 studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, of which 24 full-text articles were reviewed and 14 articles were included in the meta-analysis process. All 14 articles had examined the effects of shockwave on the MAS. Four studies with 120 patients had examined the effects of shockwave therapy on the H/M ratio. Significant reduction in MAS grade was observed immediately [I2 = 100%, P&lt;0.001, SMD=1.38 with 95%CI: (0.80, 1.87)] and three months after SWT [I2 = 100%, P&lt;0.001, SMD=1.13 with 95%CI: (0.50, 1.76)] in comparison with the baseline values. ESWT had no significant effects on the H/M ratio [I2 = 97.5%, P&lt;0.001, SMD=1.09 with 95%CI: (-0.54, 2.73)]. Conclusion: SWT can improve spasticity based on the MAS. The lack of SWT effects on the neurophysiological parameter of spasticity supports this opinion that SWT acts on the non-neural component of spasticity. Differences observed in studies in terms of treatment sessions, intervals of treatment sessions, energy density, number of shocks, and follow-up duration need to be examined more closely. More randomized clinical trials are needed in the future to analyze the impact of these factors on the efficacy of SWT for spastic patients.

Effect of shockwave therapy on kinematic gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Background/aims Extracorporeal shockwave therapy might be a considerable substitute to present treatment alternatives to reduce spasticity and improve range of motion in patients with cerebral palsy, which could improve their quality of life and gait pattern. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. Methods A total of 34 children with spastic diplegia (19 boys and 15 girls) participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 5–7 years (mean 5.8 ± standard deviation 1.2 years). They were randomly assigned into two equal groups, the study and the control group. Both groups received the traditional physiotherapy programme, three sessions a week consecutively for 3 months. Children in the study group also received extracorporeal shockwave therapy one session a week for 3 months. Results There was a significant improvement of spasticity, step length and stride width in the control group (P=0.017, 0.015, 0.033 respectively). Walking speed did not show a significant change in the control group (P=0.1). In the study group, there was a significant improvement in spasticity, stride length, stride width, and walking speed (P=0.0001, 0.005, 0.029, 0.014 respectively). Comparing the gained improvement in the study and the control group, the results showed that the improvement in the study group significantly exceeded that of the control group in spasticity, stride length, stride width and walking speed (P=0.0003, 0.011, 0.043, 0.002 respectively). Conclusions Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is effective in reducing spasticity and improving gait patterns in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

Line- and Point-Focused Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Achilles Tendinopathy: A Placebo-Controlled RCT Study

Background:Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a widely considered treatment option for Achilles tendinopathy. Line-focused ESWT is a novel technique treating a larger tendon area than point-focused ESWT. Monitoring capacities of clinical symptoms with ultrasound under ESWT treatment are unknown.Hypothesis:Point- and line-focused ESWT have a superior outcome than placebo ESWT. ESWT leads to morphological tendon changes detectable with ultrasound.Study Design:Single-blinded placebo-controlled randomized contolled trial.Level of Evidence:Level 1.Methods:The study was conducted in 3 cohorts, namely ESWT point (n = 21), ESWT line (n = 24), and ESWT placebo (n = 21). Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles (VISA-A) score was measured before the intervention (T0), after 6 weeks (T1), and after 24 weeks (T2). All cohorts performed daily physiotherapy for 24 weeks and received 4 sessions of point-focused, line-focused, or placebo ESWT in the first 6 weeks. Ultrasound was performed with B-mode, power Doppler, shear wave elastography (SWE) at T0 and T2 and with ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) at T0, T1, and T2. Data were analyzed with a mixed analysis of variance and t test.Results:There was a significant VISA-A improvement over time for all groups (P < 0.001). ESWT point had the strongest VISA-A score improvement +23 (ESWT line: +18; ESWT placebo: +15), but there was no significant interaction between time and any of the groups: F(4, 116) = 1.393; P = 0.24. UTC, power Doppler, and B-mode could not show significant alterations over time. SWE revealed a significant increase of elastic properties for ESWT point in the insertion (t = −3.113, P = 0.03) and midportion (t = −2.627, P = 0.02) over time.Conclusion:There is a significant VISA-A score improvement for all study groups without a statistically significant benefit for ESWT point or ESWT line compared with ESWT placebo. Tendon adaptation could only be detected with SWE for ESWT point.Clinical Relevance:The present study could not detect any statistically relevant effect of ESWT compared to placebo. SWE is able to demonstrate tendon adaptation.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy With a Modified Technique on Tendon and Ligament for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

There have been no definitive guidelines on the treatment method and specific points in the body. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy on treating the main tendons and ligaments of knee osteoarthritis. A total of 36 patients with knee osteoarthritis were enrolled in trial and organized into two groups: 3-wk extracorporeal shockwave therapy for the intervention group and 3-wk sham extracorporeal shockwave therapy for control group. Both groups received the same physical therapies: (1) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, (2) magnetic field treatment, and (3) quadricep muscle strength training. Evaluation was performed before the start of treatment, at third week after the start of treatment, and 1 wk after the end of treatment. The study used randomized controlled trials (level of evidence, 1). Eextracorporeal shockwave therapy group had significant improvement in WOMAC pain score, physical function, and total score (mean difference = -2.8, P < 0.001; -5.1, P = 0.02; -8.3, P = 0.004, respectively), Visual Analog Scale score (mean difference = -2.3, P < 0.001), and the distance of 6-min walk test (mean difference = 28.7, P = 0.01) in the 1 wk after the end of treatment. Statistical significance in WOMAC pain, physical function, and total scores (mean difference = -3.0, P = 0.001; -5.6, P = 0.02; -9.3, P = 0.004, respectively) and Visual Analog Scale score (mean difference = -1.2, P = 0.027) was observed between the extracorporeal shockwave therapy group and control group. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for the tendons and ligaments has clinical benefits for pain and physical function improvement in knee osteoarthritis. In addition, improvement in physical performance was observed in the short-term follow-up.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy decreases the number of total and degranulated mast cells and alleviates pelvic pain in a rat model of prostatitis.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a common male urological disease characterized by chronic pelvic pain. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been used to treat patients with CP/CPPS, but the parameters used by ESWT are not uniformly determined. Herein, this study aims to assess the effects of ESWT with different energy flux densities on pelvic pain in CP/CPPS rats and to explore the mechanisms. A rat model of CP/CPPS was induced by intraprostatic injection of 1% carrageenan. ESWT with different energy flux densities (0.09, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40mJ/mm2) was applied in the pelvic region of CP/CPPS rats once a week for 4weeks. The results showed that compared with the other energy flux densities (0.09, 0.30, and 0.40mJ/mm2), ESWT with 0.20mJ/mm2 exhibited a more powerful effect in alleviating pelvic pain and prostate damage. The therapeutic effect is associated with the reduction of the number of total and degranulated mast cells. Collectively, ESWT with 0.20mJ/mm2 achieved the optimal therapeutic effect in alleviating pelvic pain in CP/CPPS rats.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE THERAPY ON BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Lymphedema is one of the most dreaded complications related to breast cancer surgery, commonly resulting in upper limb functional, esthetic, and psychological impairment. The necessity to improve the efficacy of conventional treatments and the promising effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on lymphangiogenesis in vitro and animal models, has prompted studies involving women affected by breast cancer-related lymphedema. Since intervention modalities and treatment protocols used are different, a review is necessary to verify the effectiveness of ESWT, evaluating the quality of existing studies and the eventual need for further research. Data were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and PEDro, including articles published until January 2019. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Evident heterogeneity emerged among selected studies permitting only a purely descriptive analysis of their data and strongly limiting their comparison. When compared to other treatment modalities, ESWT showed a significant effect on measured outcomes. It is clear that further high quality research is necessary to assert with confidence the effects and possible superiority of ESWT over other conservative therapies in the management of breast cancer-related lymphedema.

Clinical evaluation and monitoring of the effect of extracorporeal shockwave therapy in sub-acute and chronic post-stroke spasticity patients

IntroductionTo evaluate the efficacy and maintenance of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in sub-acute and chronic post-stroke spasticity patients in the Suez Canal region.MethodsAn interrupted time series study was conducted; 82 patients were recruited in accordance with the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were divided into 2 subgroups depending on the stroke duration: a sub-acute group (35 patients) and a chronic group (47 patients). ESWT was applied over knee and ankle flexor muscle belly with the following setup parameters: energy: 0.068–0.093 mJ/mm; frequency: 5 Hz; number of shots: 1500. Modified Ashworth score, clonus score, 3-minute walk test, range of motion angle of both knee and ankle joint, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment were established at baseline, after the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; session, and at the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, and 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; week for the 2 groups.ResultsRegarding the sub-acute group, there was a statistically significant improvement in the modified Ashworth score, clonus score, 3-minute walk test, and range of motion angle of both knee and ankle joint after the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; session and after the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; week of intervention. The differences were not statistically significant after 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; or 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; week. The chronic group showed no statistically significant improvement after the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt; session or in the 1&lt;sup&gt;st&lt;/sup&gt;, 4&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt;, or 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; week assessment.ConclusionsESWT was more effective in treatment of spasticity in patients with sub-acute stroke compared with those with chronic stroke.

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Enhances the In Vitro Metabolic Activity and Differentiation of Equine Umbilical Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been shown to induce different biological effects on a variety of cells, including regulation and stimulation of their function and metabolism. ESWT can promote different biological responses such as proliferation, migration, and regenerations of cells. Recent studies have shown that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) secrete factors that enhance the regeneration of tissues, stimulate proliferation and differentiation of cells, and decrease inflammatory and immune reactions. Clinically, the combination of these two therapies has been used as a treatment for tendon and ligament lesions in horses; however, there is no scientific evidence supporting this combination of therapies in vivo. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of ESWT on equine umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stromal cells (CB-MSCs) proliferative, metabolic, migrative, differentiation, and immunomodulatory properties in vitro. Three equine CB-MSC cultures from independent donors were treated using an electrohydraulic shock wave generator attached to a water bath. All experiments were performed as triplicates. Proliferation, viability, migration and immunomodulatory properties of the cells were evaluated. Equine CB-MSCs were induced to evaluate their trilineage differentiation potential. ESWT treated cells had increased metabolic activity, showed positive adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation, and showed higher potential for differentiation toward the adipogenic and osteogenic cell fates. ESWT treated cells showed similar immunomodulatory properties to none-ESWT treated cells. Equine CB-MSCs are responsive to ESWT treatment and showed increased metabolic, adipogenic and osteogenic activity, but unaltered immunosuppressive properties. In vivo studies are warranted to determine if synergistic effects occur in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries if ESWT and equine CB-MSC therapies are combined.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy versus musculoskeletal mesotherapy for Achilles tendinopathy in athlete

BackgroundAchilles tendinopathy (AT) is considered the commonest tendon pathology, occurring mainly in athletes. Different conservative treatment options have been introduced but with short-term effects; however, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and mesotherapy (MT) injections were claimed to provide longer effects and could be used in cases failure of response to conservative treatments.The objective of our prospective 12-week study was to compare the effect of ESWT and MT on chronic Achilles tendinopathy in athletes by both clinical and ultrasonographical assessment.ResultsForty patients with chronic AT diagnosed clinically and with high-resolution ultrasound (US) randomly allocated in two groups first received weekly ESWT session, and the other group underwent weekly MT sessions for 4 consecutive weeks. Both groups improved during the treatment and follow-up period. The mean visual analogue score (VAS) decreased in both the ESWT group and the MT group. Mean American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot score and VAS scores were not significantly different between ESWT and MT groups at the 4th and the 12th week of follow-up. However, US assessment significantly improved after 12 weeks in the ESWT group (as regards tendon thickness, calcifications, and Doppler signal), and for the mesotherapy group, there was the only improvement of tendon thickness.ConclusionESWT showed improvement of pain and inflammation and calcifications of AT than MT injections, which was documented by US improved findings at week 12 follow up.

Effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for rotator cuff tendonitis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Rotator cuff tendinitis is a highly prevalent cause of shoulder pain and leads to decreased patient quality of life. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and ultrasound-guided needling are considered beneficial for rotator cuff tendinitis. A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing ESWT with sham-ESWT or ultrasound-guided needling in the management of pain and calcification is lacking.Methods:We will search the following up database from its inception to August 2020 without language restriction: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Science Journal Database, and WangFang database. All randomized controlled trials compared the effect of ESWT and sham-ESWT or ultrasound-guided needling of rotator cuff tendinitis will be included in pain and calcification. Two researchers will operate literature retrieval, screening, information extraction, quality assessment, and data analysis independently. The analysis will be conducted using Review Manager 5.3 Software.Results:The findings will be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication.Conclusion:This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide high-quality evidence for the treatment of patients with rotator cuff tendinitis.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY202080028

Comparative effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy, local corticosteroid injection, and conventional physiotherapy in treatment of chronic lateral epicondylitis

BackgroundLateral epicondylitis (LE) is a popular overuse syndrome involving the forearm’s extensor tendons. Corticosteroid (CS) injection is the popular injection used for management of LE. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive alternative inducing the neovascularization, tendon repairing, and decreasing pain. Our study aimed to compare the effectiveness of ESWT versus local CS injection versus conventional physiotherapy (PT) in management of chronic LE.ResultsOur results revealed that the three groups displayed a significant decrease of VAS score, decrease of PRTEE score, and increase of grip strength compared to baseline (P < 0.05) at 4 weeks and 12 weeks of follow-up. However, there was a significant decrease of VAS score in ESWT and CS groups more than PT group at 4 weeks follow-up (P < 0.05) while ESWT group displayed a considerable improvement in functional disability score (decrease in PRTEE score) more than CS and PT groups at 4 and 12 weeks of follow-up (P < 0.05), with no considerable change in HGS between the three groups.ConclusionESWT, local CS injection, and conventional PT were efficient in management of chronic LE at 12 weeks of follow-up but ESWT had a higher effect decreasing pain and improving functional disability in daily life activity at short and long term follow-up.

Effects of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on Improvements in Lymphedema, Quality of Life, and Fibrous Tissue in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on improving lymphedema, quality of life, and fibrous tissue in patients with stage 2 lymphedema.MethodsBreast cancer-related lymphedema patients referred to the rehabilitation center were recruited. We enrolled stage 2 lymphedema patients who had firmness of the skin at their forearm, a circumference difference of more than 2 cm between each arm, or a volume difference between upper extremities greater than 200 mL, confirmed by lymphoscintigraphy. The patients were randomly divided into the ESWT group and the control group. ESWT was performed for 3 weeks (two sessions per week); both groups received complex decongestive physical therapy. All patients were evaluated at baseline and at 3 weeks after treatment. The measurements performed included visual analog scale score, volume, circumference, QuickDASH (Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) score, bioelectrical impedance, and skin thickness.ResultsThe patients in both groups (n=15 in each group) completed the 3-week therapy experiment. No significant differences were observed in demographic characteristics between groups. After the 3-week treatment period, improvement was noted in the circumference difference below the elbow, volume, ratio of extracellular water to total body water, and skin thickness in the ESWT group. A significant difference was found in all the above-mentioned areas except in circumference below the elbow in the ESWT group.ConclusionESWT reduced edema and skin fibrosis without significant complications. Therefore, ESWT can be used together with complex decongestive physical therapy for treating lymphedema.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Painful Chronic Traumatic Heterotopic Ossification after Right Acetabulum Fracture Fixation: A Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Heterotopic ossification (HO) usually occurs in trauma, such as fractures. To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of studies about the effects of shockwave on the size of HO in the literature.&#x0D; AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the effects of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on the size of HO as well as the lower extremity functions in patients with fracture right acetabulum.&#x0D; CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old gentleman had a traffic accident on August 30, 2015, resulted in a fracture of the right acetabulum treated by open reduction and internal fixation on September 2, 2015. The patient has complained of severe right hip pain with limitation of daily activities, especially walking, standing, and sitting, visual analog scale about 7-8/10 with painful and restricted ROM of the right hip. Plain X-ray of the right hip revealed HO at greater trochanter with a long axis length 37.3 mm. ESWT was applied for HO. ESWT was administered 6 times each weekly for 6 weeks. At 6-month follow-up, the size of HO had become slightly smaller with the improvement of pain, and lower extremities functions.&#x0D; DISCUSSION: Soft tissues around HO have been regenerated from ischemia for several reasons such as ESWT stimulating angiogenesis and neurogenesis and the size of HO had become slightly smaller by radial shockwave therapy.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: ESWT is a novel non-invasive and safe treatment for HO. The effects of ESWT on the size of HO had become slightly smaller with the improvement of lower extremities functions.

Effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cohort study protocol.

Background:Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and is a major cause of disability and chronic pain in adults. However, there is very limited evidence in the scientific literature to support the effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in human knee osteoarthritis. This retrospective study aimed to compare the efficacy of ESWT treatment with sham-ESWT on pain, walking speed, physical function, and adverse effects in knee osteoarthritis.Methods:This study will be performed and reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology checklist. We reviewed patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis at our academic center from 2016 to 2017. This retrospective cohort study was approved by the institutional review board in Ruijin Hospital. The primary outcome measure was pain on movement measured by a 100-cm visual analog scale. The secondary outcome measures included the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index, range of motion, and adverse effects. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY). A P-value of <.05 was defined as statistical significance.Results:The hypothesis was that ESWT would be an effective treatment for improving pain and physical function in knee osteoarthritis to control symptoms.Trial registration:This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5801).

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy improves pain and function in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

To examine the safety and effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for reducing pain and improving functionality in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and Google Scholar were systematically searched for randomized trials published up to September 30th of 2019. The main outcome measures to evaluate the treatment effect were pain, as reported on a visual analogue scale (VAS), and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Secondary outcome measures were the range of motion (ROM) and walking tests. A quantitative analysis was conducted using the inverse variance method and the random effects model. Fourteen studies were included (n=782 participants and 877 knees). Moderate quality of evidence showed that ESWT causes a decrease on the pain VAS [mean difference (MD)=1.7cm; confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.1-2.3] and WOMAC (MD=13.9 points; CI 95%: 6.9-20.8). The effect of ESWT using medium energetic density was greater than with low or high density in the WOMAC (Chi2=9.8, p=0.002) and bordered statistical significance on the VAS (Chi2=3.8, p=0.05). Very low quality of evidence showed that ESWT causes moderate improvement in the knee ROM (MD=17.5°; CI 95%: 9.4-25.5) and walking test [standardized mean difference (SMD)=0.58; CI 95%: 0.35-0.81]. ESWT is an effective treatment for improving pain and functionality in patients with KOA in the short term with few minor side effects. Further clinical trials should include longer follow-up periods and be designed to lower the risk of bias.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy accelerates endochondral ossification and fracture healing in a rat femur delayed-union model

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been demonstrated to accelerate bone healing; however, the mechanism underlying ESWT-induced bone regeneration has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to examine the effects of ESWT and the process of fracture healing. A rat model of femur delayed-union was established by cauterizing the periosteum. ESWT treatment at the fracture site was performed 2 weeks after the operation and the site was radiographically and histologically evaluated at weeks 4, 6, and 8. The bone union rate and radiographic score of the ESWT group were significantly higher than those of the control group at 8 weeks. Histological evaluation revealed enhanced endochondral ossification at the fracture site. The effects of ESWT on ATDC5 cells were examined in vitro. ESWT promoted chondrogenic differentiation without inhibiting the proliferation of ATDC5 cells. ESWT may induce significant bone healing by promoting endochondral ossification at the fracture site.