Application of shock waves in medicine

Extracorporeal-generated shock waves were introduced approximately 20 years ago to disintegrate kidney stones. This treatment method substantially changed the treatment of urolithiasis. Shock waves have become the treatment of choice for kidney and ureteral stones. Urology, however, is not the only medical field for the potential use of shock waves for problems. Shock waves subsequently have been used in orthopaedics and traumatology to treat various insertional tendinopathies (enthesiopathies) and delayed unions and nonunions of fracture. Shock wave application also has been used in the treatment of tendinopathies in veterinary conditions (race horses). The concept of orthopaedic disorders is that shock waves stimulate or reactivate healing processes in tendons, surrounding tissue and bones, probably through microdisruption of avascular or minimally vascular tissues to encourage revascularization, release of local growth factors, and the recruitment of appropriate stem cells conducive to more normal tissue healing. The current author will give an overview of history and basic research of the application of shock waves in medicine.