BLASTING bones with shock waves sounds like a bad idea, but it turns out that it stimulates bone growth. The non-invasive technique might help treat fractures that refuse to heal, and perhaps even reduce the need for hip replacements by encouraging ageing joints to regenerate.
Shock waves – single, high-pressure pulses – have long been used to break up kidney stones. They travel through soft tissue without causing damage but release their energy when they hit a hard substance such as bone. Doctors noticed decades ago that people who had multiple treatments for kidney stones grew extra bone on the…
