The application of extracorporeal shock waves in the locomotor apparatus offers new therapeutic concepts. This book provides an up-to-date overview on the use of shock waves in orthopaedics. The main emphasis is laid on the basics of shock wave techniques and on the impact of shock waves on cells and organs. The reader is provided with a summary of experimental and clinical results of shock wave therapy applied to the bone and the epiphyseal growth plate. Authors from five clinical centres report on their experiences with shock wave therapy in tendinosis calcarea, epicondylopathy and calcar spur. Furthermore they report on first experiences with shock wave therapy in children with cerebral paresis.

Shockwave therapy has existed in the form of lithotripsy for renal stones for several years, but recent technological developments have opened up new treatment avenues for this technique, in such common and debilitating conditions as osteonecrosis, tennis elbow and the chronic non-union of fractures. This book has been written and edited by the leading experts in musculoskeletal shockwave therapy from around the world, and represents the state-of-the-art in the subject, having been compiled immediately after the 1999 European Society for Musculoskeletal Shockwave Therapy in London.

This comprehensive reference work provides a detailed overview of shockwave therapy, a relatively new clinical specialty in modern medicine. It follows the evolution of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) from its initial stage as the gold standard for the disintegration of kidney stones to its regenerative effects in biological tissues. Starting with the basic principles of shockwave treatment, the book goes on to review its application in musculoskeletal disorders, including osteonecrosis of the hip, tendinopathy, fracture treatment, and treatment of sports related injuries. The application of ESWT in cardiovascular diseases is discussed. This includes preclinical and clinical applications for ischemic cardiovascular disease and effects on angiogenesis and anti-inflammation-molecular-cellular signaling pathways. The treatment of urinary diseases and erectile dysfunction by ESWT is elaborated. The book concludes with a discussion of future prospects of the shockwave therapy. Scholars and research fellows interested in shockwave medicine will benefit greatly from this work. It is also a useful clinical resource for nephrologists, urologists, cardiologists, and orthopedists.

This book provides current, comprehensive, and clear explanations of the physics behind medical and biomedical applications of shock waves. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is one of the greatest medical advances of our time, and its techniques and clinical devices are continuously evolving. Further research continues to improve the understanding of calculi fragmentation and tissue-damaging mechanisms. Shock waves are also used in orthopedics and traumatology. Possible applications in oncology, cardiology, dentistry, gene therapy, cell transfection, transformation of fungi and bacteria, as well as the inactivation of microorganisms are promising approaches for clinical treatment, industrial applications and research. Medical and Biomedical Applications of Shock Waves is useful as a guide for students, technicians and researchers working in universities and laboratories. Chemists, biologists, physicians and veterinarians, involved in research or clinical practice will find useful advice, but also engineers and physicists may benefit from the overview of current research endeavors and future directions. Furthermore, it may also serve to direct manufacturers towards the design of more efficient and safer clinical, industrial and laboratory equipment.

Bridging the gap between undergraduate and postgraduate knowledge and experience, this new full colour resource uses an interdisciplinary approach to help manage chronic conditions – osteoarthritis, Achilles tendinopathy, gout, rheumatic diseases, forefoot/rearfoot entities, stress fractures/reactions, cerebral palsy – in the lower limb and foot. Each chapter includes sections on predisposing factors, diagnosis, impairments, function, quality of life and management strategies while highlighting any complex features of a condition which may present. The latest advances are discussed with suggestions for new paths of research – 'future directions'. The text is further supported by additional commentaries from internationally renowned researchers who highlight the key elements of the work and provide a supplementary perspective of the particular clinical condition. A general view of the patient's needs is offered throughout, connecting clinical realities to real-world patient experiences. Management of Chronic Conditions in the Foot and Lower Leg is a comprehensive, practical tool that can be used to inform daily decision making in practice as well as to support those who build policy and management strategies in the clinical areas covered. - Clear content and structure supported by full colour illustrations - Includes less discussed conditions such as gout and cerebral palsy - Focus on pain, impairment, function, quality of life and management strategies - Critical reflections by experts highlight current clinical practice and thinking in research - Provides a sound interpretation of research findings - Features patient-reported outcome measures and health related behaviour strategies

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)" arrived in the United States in February of 1984 with explosive impact in the field of urology. The first ESWL treatment in the United States with the Dornier H~ device occurred at the Methodist Hospital of Indiana, and by the end of 1984, In spite of the rapidly the United StatesESWL study group had accrued over2,5()() ESWL treatments. accumulated experience at the six institutions involved in the FDA trial of the Dornier HM] device, other urologists in this country and around the world had little opportunity to gain knowledge about the utilization of this revolutionary technique. For this reason, the Methodist Hospital of Indiana organized the first symposium on shock wave lithotripsy in February of1985. Interest in this meeting was intense, as approval of the Dornier device had occurred only a few weeks earlier in December of 1984. Because of the success of this initial meeting, subsequent meetings have been held annually in Indianapolis. Following the third annual symposium on extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in March of 1987, a number of participants and attendees requested that the information presented at the meeting be made available. Therefore, plans were made to publish the proceedings of the next meeting which occurred March 5 and 6, 1988. The Methodist Hospi tal ofIndiana' s 4th Symposium on Shock Wave Lithotripsy: State of the Art was the best attended meeting to date with over 650 registrants from 36 states and 24 countries.