Shockwave Therapy Speeds Up Healing of Allograft-Repaired Bone Defects
Title of study: Effect of Electrohydraulic Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy on the Repair of Bone Defects Grafted With Particulate Allografts
Authors: Enes Özkan, Mehmet Cihan Bereket, Erman Şenel, Mehmet Emin Önger
A recent study investigated the effects of electrohydraulic extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on the healing of bone defects in the mandibles of rats that were repaired using allografts. The study included 20 male Wistar rats, with a 4-mm diameter defect created in their mandibles and filled with allografts. The rats were divided into two groups, one receiving only allografts, and the other receiving allografts with ESWT.
The rats in the ESWT group received 200 pulses of shockwave therapy on days 3, 5, and 7 after the grafting. After four and eight weeks, five rats from each group were sacrificed, and their defect areas were evaluated using high-resolution computed tomography and stereological methods.
The results showed that the rats in the ESWT group had higher bone density, new bone volume, connective tissue volume, and capillary volume than those in the group that received only allografts, indicating accelerated healing. At week 4, the bone density was higher in the group that received only allografts, while at week 8, the bone density was higher in the ESWT group.
The findings suggest that repeated doses of ESWT can enhance the healing of bone defects repaired using allogenic bone grafts.