Sergio Russo

Cardiac shock wave therapy: assessment of safety and new insights into mechanisms of tissue regeneration

Although low‐energy extracorporeal cardiac shock wave (ECSW) therapy represents an attractive non‐invasive treatment option for ischaemic heart disease, the precise mechanisms of its action and influence on the cardiac tissue remain obscure. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of SW application on cardiac function and structure. Four‐month‐old Fisher 344 rats were subjected to ECSW therapy. Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac function were performed at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Signs of inflammation, apoptosis and fibrosis were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in the control and treated hearts. ECSW application did not provoke arrhythmia or increase the troponin‐I level. At all time points, the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening remained stable. Histological analysis revealed neither differences in the extracellular matrix collagen content nor the presence of fibrosis; similarly, there were no signs of inflammation. Moreover, a population of cardiac cells that responded eagerly to ECSW application in the adult heart was identified; c‐kit–positive, Ki67‐positive, orthochromatic cells, corresponding to cardiac primitive cells, were 2.65‐fold more numerous in the treated myocardium. In conclusion, non‐invasive ECSW therapy is a safe and effective way of activating cardiac stem cells and myocardial regeneration. Because many factors influence cellular turnover in the ischaemic myocardium during the course of ischaemic heart disease, cardiac remodelling, and heart failure progression, studies to identify the optimal treatment time are warranted.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for avascular necrosis of femoral head.

The etiology of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is multifactorial. Treatment of ONFH is disease stage dependent. For early stages, femoral head preservation procedures are preferred including core decompression, muscle pedicle grafting and de-rotational osteotomy. Core decompression with bone grafting is considered the gold standard. However, the results are inconsistence and unpredictable. An effective non-invasive method of treatment is imperative. Recently, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has shown beneficial effects in ONFH. ESWT improves pain and function of the hip and regression of the ONFH lesion. ESWT is more effective than core decompression with or without bone grafting, cocktail therapy that combined HBO, ESWT and oral alendronate is shown effective for patients with early osteonecrosis. The purpose of the article is to review, update and summarize the clinical treatment of ONFH using shockwave therapy.

Extracorporeal Shockwaves Versus Surgery in the Treatment of Pseudoarthrosis of the Carpal Scaphoid

The peculiar anatomical characteristics and precarious vascularization of the carpal scaphoid are responsible for a difficult healing of fractures and a fairly frequent subsequent evolution to pseudoarthrosis. Recently, extracorporeal shockwaves therapy (ESWT) has yielded encouraging results in the treatment of pseudoarthrosis of various bone segments. We report a retrospective study comparing the results of application of three sessions of shockwaves therapy (SW) with energy flux density (EFD) impulses of 0.09 (SD = 0.02) mJ/mm(2) ESWT emitted by an electromagnetic generator in 58 patients (group I) affected by pseudoarthrosis of the carpal scaphoid, with the results of surgical treatment consisting of stabilization and bone graft according to the Matti-Russe technique, performed in 60 subjects (controls, group II). There were no statistically significant differences in the mean duration of the pseudoarthrosis (p = 0.46), sex distribution (p = 0.41) and mean age at recruitment (p = 0.95) between the two patient groups. Posttreatment clinical-functional assessment, based on the Mayo Wrist Score, showed a significantly improved score, rising from 28-74.6 in group I already after 2 mo (p < 0.001), with 86.3% of the results judged as satisfactory or excellent; in group II the mean score rose from 27.5-74.2 after 2 mo, with 83.4% of the results judged as satisfactory or excellent (p < 0.001). At the same two-months follow-up (FU), radiographic consolidation was shown in 75.9% of patients in group I and 76.7% in group II. These improvements persisted at the subsequent controls at six and 12 mo in both groups. The Mayo Wrist Score and X-rays did not show statistically significant differences at the various FU visits in the two groups (p > 0.05). On the basis of our data, we can conclude that the results of ESWT are comparable with those of surgical stabilization and bone graft in the treatment of scaphoid pseudoarthrosis. In view of their minimal invasiveness, shockwaves should therefore be considered the treatment of choice of this disorder.

Core decompression versus other joint preserving treatments for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION Osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH) leads to hip osteoarthritis (HOA); among joint preserving treatments (JPT), the role of core decompression (CD) is still debated. We assessed the efficacy of CD compared with all other JPT in delaying the natural osteonecrosis evolution to HOA. SOURCES OF DATA Following the PRISMA checklist, the Medline and Scopus databases were searched. Fifteen- to 70-year-old subjects with ONFH with a minimum follow-up of 24 months were considered. The outcomes evaluated were patient clinical status, radiographic progression and total hip arthroplasty (THA) or further surgery (FS) need. Risk ratio (RR) was calculated for every outcome reported. RCT, CCT and prospective studies were included. AREAS OF AGREEMENT A total of 12 studies (776 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Clinical outcome (RR = 1.14; 95% CI 0.58-2.32; P = 0.05), radiographic progression (RR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.14-2.35; P = 0.05) and the need for THA/FS (RR = 1.52; 95% CI 0.95-2.45; P = 0.05) suggested a slight superiority of other JPT compared with CD. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY High heterogeneity of the primary investigations was the main limitation of our study. GROWING POINTS The efficacy and effectiveness of core decompression for ONFH are, at best, no better than other joint preserving strategies. The more recent scientific evidence seems to suggest that such procedure is less successful than other joint preserving strategies. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH Further studies are needed to identify the best therapeutic approach to the ONFH.

Treatment of the trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis by arthroplasty with a pyrocarbon implant

PurposeTrapeziometacarpal (TM) osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis of the hand. To date, among surgical alternatives proposed, no one type has been proven superior to others. In this prospective study we evaluated the efficacy of treating arthroplasty with a latest-generation pyrocarbon implant (Pyrocardan).MethodsThirty-six patients with TM arthritis were treated using Pyrocardan implant arthroplasty. Results were evaluated through thumb radial and palmar abduction assessment, key pinch strength evaluation, thumb opposition assessment according to Kapandji classification, the visual analogue scale, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and the Patient’s Satisfaction Index.ResultsThere was substantial pain reduction and a satisfying increase in range of motion and strength (p < 0.01) and improvement in DASH score (p < 0.01). Average Patient’s Satisfaction Index was 8 out of 10.ConclusionsTM arthroplasty with Pyrocardan implantation is a suitable option in treating Eaton-Littler grade II or III TM osteoarthritis.

Italian experience on use of E.S.W. therapy for avascular necrosis of femoral head

Osteonecrosis (avascular necrosis) of the femoral head is a clinical disease due to a severe bone vascular alteration associated with intense pain and loss of joint function, with an incidence of 0.1% and unknown aetiology. Many classifications exist to describe it and in the final stages the patient will need a total hip arthroplasty. In the early stages, ESWT has given excellent responses.
 The Neapolitan school studied more than 600 patients who had very good results in I and II stages of Ficat and Arlet Classification, with an improve of outcomes in VAS and HSS scores. Moreover it has shown a complete restoration of the signal intensity of the femoral head in MRI.

Extracorporeal shock waves alone or combined with raloxifene promote bone formation and suppress resorption in ovariectomized rats

Osteoporosis is a metabolic skeletal disease characterized by an imbalance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. We examined the beneficial effect of shock waves (SW) alone or in combination with raloxifene (RAL) on bone loss in ovariectomized rats (OVX). Sixteen weeks after surgery, OVX were treated for five weeks with SW at the antero-lateral side of the right hind leg, one session weekly, at 3 Hz (EFD of 0.33 mJ/mm2), or with RAL (5 mg/kg/die, per os) or with SW+RAL. Sera, femurs, tibiae and vertebrae were sampled for following biochemical and histological analysis. SW, alone or combined with RAL, prevented femur weight reduction and the deterioration of trabecular microarchitecture both in femur and vertebrae. All treatments increased Speed of Sound (SoS) values, improving bone mineral density, altered by OVX. Serum parameters involved in bone remodeling (alkaline phosphatase, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand, osteoprotegerin) and osteoblast proliferation (PTH), altered by ovariectomy, were restored by SW and RAL alone or in combination. In tibiae, SW+RAL significantly reduced cathepsin k and TNF-α levels, indicating the inhibition of osteoclast activity, while all treatments significantly increased runt-related transcription factor 2 and bone morphogenetic-2 expression, suggesting an increase in osteoblastogenic activity. Finally, in bone marrow from tibiae, SW or RAL reduced PPARγ and adiponectin transcription, indicating a shift of mesenchymal cells toward osteoblastogenesis, without showing a synergistic effect. Our data indicate SW therapy, alone and in combination with raloxifene, as an innovative strategy to limit the hypoestrogenic bone loss, restoring the balance between bone formation and resorption.