Ultrasound for Bone Healing
Ultrasound has several effects on healing bone that may alter the rate at which fractures unite. Ultrasound has been reported to have effects ranging from small temperature changes in the tissue to increased gene expression. It is not known which effect of ultrasound on cells alters the healing process.
There is some scientific evidence showing that certain fractures, specifically fresh fractures, can show faster healing with the use of ultrasound. There is also evidence that these devices can help in patients who have poor healing potential, including diabetics, smokers, and patients taking oral steroid medications.
Bottom Line
However, in routine fractures, there is really no current evidence to support the use of ultrasound for healing. In studies that have been performed, fractures tend to heal regardless of the use of ultrasound. Therefore, the routine use of ultrasound is not recommended, although some doctors recommend using this technology for some complex fractures that may have problems healing.
Most of the benefits of ultrasound have been found in non-clinical settings. This means that while ultrasound has been shown to influence bone activity in a laboratory setting, the clinical effects in the real world have been less impressive. Ultrasound has been shown to have beneficial effects in fracture healing, but is probably only useful in situations where healing potential is limited.
