title: Dose-related effects of extracorporeal shock waves on rabbit quadriceps tendon integrity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, morphological signs of damage were reported in rabbit Achilles tendon following extracorporeal shock wave application (ESWA) with an energy flux density (EFD) of 0.6 mJ/mm(2). However, it is unknown whether or not the same can be found after ESWA to other tendons such as the quadriceps tendon.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the effects of ESWA in vivo on rabbit quadriceps tendon. Animals received 1,500 SW pulses each of different EFD ranging between 0.0 and 1.2 mJ/mm(2) on either the left or right quadriceps tendon. ESWA effects were investigated by histopathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ESWA with EFD of 0.5 mJ/mm(2) upwards resulted in edema within the paratenon. ESWA with EFD of 1.2 mJ/mm(2) resulted in various morphological signs of damage within the tendon and paratenon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that ESWA to the quadriceps tendon in clinical experimental use should be restricted to EFD less than 0.5 mJ/mm(2).
authors.affiliation: Institute for Surgical Research, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany. markus.maier@ort.med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tischer
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milz
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nerlich
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pellengahr
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Hans Jürgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Refior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D019220:High-Energy Shock Waves; D023421:Models, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*