Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Shock Wave Application to Cell Cultures
Published on: April 8, 2014
Use of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for the Management of Bone Pathologies: A Systematic Review
Lauren C Prisco1, Eric Zhao1, Olivia Lynch2
1Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for bone pathologies including fractures, osteonecrosis/avascular necrosis, bone stress injury (BSI), medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), and bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES).
Design:
Systematic review.
Data Sources:
Search performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of 3 databases: Cochrane Library, Embase (Elsevier), and PubMed (NLM). Studies included randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case series, and case reports that investigated the efficacy of ESWT for the management of BSI, BMES, MTSS, delayed or nonunion fracture, or osteonecrosis/avascular necrosis of bone.
Main Results:
Fifty-three studies with 1835 adult patients (608 women, 910 men, 317 unspecified) were included. Studies were defined using Oxford level of evidence rating: 7 level I (13.2%), 4 level II (7.5%), 4 level III (7.5%), 24 level IV (45.2%), and 14 level V (26.4%). Four of 7 level I studies showed similar effectiveness of ESWT compared with surgery for the treatment of long bone nonunion fractures (n = 1) and early stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head (n = 1), exercise program for MTSS (n = 1), and medication management for BMES (n = 1). Efficacy for management of BSI had lower level of evidence. Twenty-two studies reported on safety with no significant adverse events.
Conclusions:
The limited high-level studies suggest ESWT may offer an effective noninvasive treatment of most bone pathologies with favorable safety profile. Additional high-quality studies particularly in BSI may inform use of ESWT for bone pathologies.
