Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Therapy (LIPUS): A review of evidence and potential applications in diabetics

Reshid Berber; Sheweidin Aziz; Joanna Simkins; Sheldon S Lin; Jitendra Mangwani

doi:10.1016/j.jcot.2020.03.009

Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Therapy (LIPUS): A review of evidence and potential applications in diabetics

J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2020 Jul;11(Suppl 4):S500-S505. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2020.03.009. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Authors

Reshid Berber¹, Sheweidin Aziz¹, Joanna Simkins¹, Sheldon S Lin², Jitendra Mangwani¹

Affiliations

¹ Academic Team of Musculoskeletal Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester, LE5 4PW, UK.
² Department of Orthopaedics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 90 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ, 07101, USA.

Abstract

Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Therapy (LIPUS) is a non-invasive treatment and aims to reduce fracture healing time and avoid non-union by delivering micro-mechanical stress to the bone to stimulate bone healing. In 2018, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommended that the evidence for LIPUS to promote healing of delayed-union and non-union fractures raised no major safety concerns, but the current evidence on efficacy is inadequate in quality. Little is known about the potential benefits of LIPUS for fracture healing in diabetic patients. In this article, we review the current evidence of LIPUS therapy both in animal and human studies and its possible application on fractures in diabetics.

Keywords: Diabetic; Fracture healing; Low intensity pulsed ultrasound.

Publication types

Review