Private MD News

Tests show non-invasive therapy an alternative for broken bones

Updated: 2009-11-03 21:43:43 CST Category: General Health

by Brendan Missett

Shock-wave therapy may offer a non-invasive, though equally effective, alternative to surgery from patients whose broken bones have difficulty healing, new research suggests.

According to a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, shockwave therapy stimulates the healing of bones within six months and provide outcomes comparable to surgery as long as two years after the treatment.

Researchers in San Salvatore Hospital in L'Aquila, Italy, studied 126 patients who suffered from nonunion - the failure of a bone to heal because of limited blood supply - of the femur, tibia, ulna or radius. One group of patients received surgery to repair their fracture; the other received four shock-wave therapy sessions at weekly intervals.

"We found that extracorporeal (outside the body) shock-wave therapy was just as effective as surgery in helping to heal and repair nonunions," said the study's lead author Dr Angelo Cacchio. "When we examined patients and compared their outcomes at three and six months, initially those who received the shock-wave therapy actually felt better than those who had surgery."

According to Dr Jonathan Cluett of the Health Disease and Condition Medical Review Board, broken bones are the most common orthopedic problems, totaling about 6.8 million reports in the U.S. each year.

Related Articles from Private MD:

• Scientists test influence of diet on Alzheimer's disease
  
• Parkinson's study may bring 'improved diagnostic strategies', testing
  
• New lab tests help doctors treat lung diseases
  
• Researchers: Pistachios can deter obesity, diabetes
  
• Green tea may influence bone growth
  

Subscribe to Private MD Health News RSS Feed:

Visit the Health News Archive: Click Here

Questions about online blood testing or how to order a lab test? Click here to get started or call us toll-free at 1.877.283.7882. Our certified professionals are ready to assist you.