Extracorporeal shock wave treatment in foot and ankle fracture non-unions - A review.

BACKGROUND

The authors reviewed the current evidence and conducted a comprehensive review on the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of foot and ankle fracture non-unions.

METHODS

Four databases were searched to identify relevant studies in the available literature.

RESULTS

Eight studies were reviewed, demonstrating union rates of 65%-100% and 90-100% at 3- and 6-months following ESWT treatment respectively. No major complications were seen in any of the studies. Minor complications included local soft tissue swelling, petechiae, bruising and pain.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature that is currently available is limited to case series of relatively small sample sizes, highlighting the need for a prospective randomised controlled trial to further investigate the efficacy of ESWT in the treatment of foot and ankle fracture non-unions.