Orthopedic Surgeons Use Acoustics to Treat Swollen Tendons
November 1, 2003
You don't have to be one of the 9 million Americans suffering from tennis elbow, a painful swelling of the tendons caused by repetitive use of the arm. Until recently, invasive surgery was the only remaining option for tennis-elbow patients who did not improve from drug therapy. But now orthopedic surgeons are using the Ossatron, a device that treats tennis elbow in just ten minutes. The Ossatron procedure, called orthotripsy, delivers high-energy shockwaves (in the form of sound waves) directly to the injured area. This causes microscopic damage to scar tissue and encourages growth of new blood vessels to form healthy tissue. Healing and recovery time is usually as short as 2 weeks, as opposed to 4-6 months with traditional surgery.
