Shockwave Therapy Exhibits Significant Antibacterial Effects
Title of study: Antibacterial effects of extracorporeal shock waves
Authors: Ludger Gerdesmeyer, Christof von Eiff, Carsten Horn, Mark Henne, Michaela Roessner, Peter Diehl, Hans Gollwitzer
A study conducted on the effect of extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) on Staphylococcus aureus bacteria found that it can significantly reduce bacterial growth in an energy-dependent manner. The study exposed standardised suspensions of S. aureus to different impulse numbers of shock waves with an energy flux density (ED) up to 0.96 mJ mm(-2) (2 Hz). Viable bacteria were quantified by culture and compared with untreated control.
The study found that after applying 4000 impulses, a significant bactericidal effect was observed with a threshold ED of 0.59 mJ mm(-2). A threshold impulse number of more than 1000 impulses was necessary to reduce bacterial growth. Further elevation of energy and impulse number exponentially increased bacterial killing.
The study concludes that ESWT has a significant antibacterial effect in an energy-dependent manner. It shows promise in treating certain types of difficult-to-treat infections. This could open up new applications for ESWT in the field of medicine.
This study is particularly relevant as bacteria continue to develop resistance to antibiotics. Shockwave therapy could provide an alternative treatment method for bacterial infections.