title: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for the treatment of chronic wound of lower extremity: current perspective and systematic review.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to provide an up-to-date review for the accurate estimation of the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on the healing of chronic wounds on the lower extremity (CWLE). A systematic review of 10 databases for clinical trials about ESWT in the management of CWLE published between 2000 and 2016 was performed. A total of 11 studies with 925 patients were found. Expert therapists assessed the methodological qualities of the selected studies using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and categorised each study according to Sackett's levels of evidence. Eight studies were categorised as level II; two studies were categorised as level III and one study was categorised as level V. In conclusion, this review demonstrated mild to moderate evidence to support the use of ESWT as an adjuvant therapy with a standardised wound care programme. However, it is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of ESWT. So, future researches with high methodological quality are required to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this relatively new physical therapy application.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.|Rehabilitation Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Ta
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.|Physical Therapy Department, National Heart Institute, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rehab Fm
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Gwada
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Health Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.|Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Afaf Am
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.affiliation: Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medical Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, Director of the School of Specialty in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 'Gabriele d'Annunzio' University, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saggini
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000074059:Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Chronic wounds of the lower extremity; Extracorporeal shock wave therapy