title: Effects of ultrasound on osteotomy healing in a rabbit fracture model.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of ultrasound (US) at different frequencies on fracture healing over a three-week period in a rabbit fibular fracture model. Forty-five adult New Zealand White rabbits were divided into five groups: a control group and four groups treated with US frequencies of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MHz (0.5 W/cm(2), 200-μs burst, pulsed 1:4). After anesthesia, transverse osteotomy was performed on the fibula bone. This was followed by intravital staining and fluorescence microscopic examination of new bone formation and biomechanical tests of torsional stiffness at the osteotomy site. Results showed that total new bone formation and torsional stiffness of the fibula were greater in all US-treated groups than in the control group. No significant difference was found between any of the four US-treated groups. The US treatment also enhanced bone growth of the sham-treated contralateral fracture site. These results suggest that US treatment at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 MHz can enhance fracture healing in a rabbit model. Furthermore, the effects of US on fracture healing at present parameters might not be confined locally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chiung-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Jimmy Kuan-Jung
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shih-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Walter Hong-Shong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005360:Fibula; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010027:Osteotomy; D011817:Rabbits; D011897:Random Allocation; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019415:Torque; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy