Therapeutic ultrasound for venous leg ulcers.
BACKGROUND
Ultrasound therapy is commonly used with the aim of improving the healing of chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers and venous leg ulcers.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound in the treatment of venous leg ulcers.


METHODS
The Cochrane Wounds Group search strategy was used (see Scope) to search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of therapeutic ultrasound for the treatment of venous leg ulcers.


METHODS
Randomised controlled trials comparing therapeutic ultrasound with sham ultrasound, or other (standard) treatment


METHODS
Results of searches were scrutinised by one reviewer (and checked by a second) to identify possible RCTs and full reports of these were obtained. Details of eligible studies were extracted and summarised using a data extraction sheet. Attempts were made to obtain missing data by contacting authors. Data extraction was checked by a second reviewer.


RESULTS
A total of seven eligible RCTs were identified. Four trials compared ultrasound therapy with sham ultrasound, three trials compared ultrasound therapy with standard treatment. None of the trials found a difference in healing rates between any of the therapies, though it is noteworthy that the direction of treatment effect was consistently in favour of ultrasound (though this did not reach significance in the individual studies).


CONCLUSIONS
There is no good evidence of a benefit of ultrasound therapy in the healing of venous leg ulcers.
Flemming
K
K
Centre for Evidence Based Nursing, University of York, Genesis 6, York Science Park, York, UK, YO10 5DQ. kaf1@york.ac.uk
Cullum
N
N
D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000191:economics; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing