Evidence supporting extracorporeal shock wave therapy for acute and chronic soft tissue wounds

Objective. Soft tissue wound healing is a complex and well-orchestrated sequence of events on multiple biological levels involving systemic, cellular, and molecular signals. The physiological process of wound healing leads to full tissue repair and regeneration with nearly complete restoration of tissue integrity and functionality. Wounds, particularly among the elderly population, can show delayed or disturbed healing; however, delayed or disturbed healing is also evident in patients with comorbidities such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, venous/arterial insufficiency, reduced mobility due to chronic infirmity, and hypercholesterolemia. Chronic wounds are conditions, which include a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative conditions of the musculoskeletal system. Management of chronic, difficult to heal, or non-healing soft tissue wounds requires a multidisciplinary approach. Often these treatment options have inconsistent and irregular outcomes. Poor response or failure to conservative treatments places a substantial burden on patients, their families, the healthcare system, and society in general. Therefore, the development of a new, effective method of treatment to improve healing of problematic wounds and reduce treatment-related costs is extremely valuable. One such therapy is Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT). ESWT acts through mechanotransduction, which produces therapeutic benefits through complex biological pathways including neovascularization and tissue regeneration in the therapeutic target. Published data thus far suggest that the application of ESWT for soft tissue indications is safe, reliable, cost-effective, and clinically efficacious. The exact biological effects of ESWT on human cells are not completely understood, but are currently undergoing further study. The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of shockwave therapy and its role in the treatment of acute and chronic soft tissue wounds. .