Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Ultrasonic
Patent
1994-07-13
1996-06-25
Smith, Ruth S.
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Ultrasonic
367147, 367175, A61N 700
Patent
active
055295720
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus particularly useful for treating osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a bone disorder which affects middle and old age people, especially women. It is characterized by an abnormal loss of bone tissue, and consequently by a decrease in the density of the bone. The reduction in bone density reduces the strength of the bone such as to make the afflicted person susceptible to easy fracture, particularly of the pelvis (hip), spine, femoral neck, and forearm.
Osteoporosis affects millions of elderly people. In the USA, it affects about one out of every four women over the age of 45, and half of all women over the age of 60. Each year approximately 200,000 persons break a hip because of osteoporosis. It is therefore one of the major causes for prolonged hospitalization of the elderly; and resulting complications, particularly from hip fracture, constitute a frequent cause of death in the USA.
At the present time there is no generally accepted cure for osteoporosis, although various treatments are used with varying degrees of success. Thus, calcium supplementation, regular exercise, and enhanced physical activity may prevent deterioration of the bone; and at a later stage, more elaborate treatment, such as the administering of hormones, calcium, phosphate and vitamin D analogues may be used.
An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of increasing the density and strength of the bone, particularly for preventing or treating osteoporosis. Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for use in such treatment.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the density and strength of the bone, particularly for preventing or treating osteoporosis comprising subjecting the bone to unfocussed compressional shock waves. Such unfocussed shock waves thus produce dynamic repetitive loading of the bone. This increases the mean bone density, and thereby strengthens the bone against fracture.
According to further features in the preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the unfocussed shock waves are applied to the bone at an intensity of 50-500 atmospheres, and in the form of substantially planar, unfocussed wavefronts covering an area of from 10 to 150 cm.sup.2 of the bone.
According to one described embodiment, the unfocussed shock waves are applied by a point-source shock wave generator located at the focal point of a paraboloidal reflector which reflects the shock waves to form a substantially planar, unfocussed wavefront. More particularly, in the described preferred embodiment the shock waves are generated by a spark gap, preferably an electrical spark gap.
A second embodiment is described wherein the shock waves are generated by an area-source shock wave generator, particularly an electromagnetic device.
Generally speaking, the shock waves may be generated by the same types of shock wave generators as are used in lithotripters, namely devices designed to fragment upper urinary tract stones, gallstones, etc., by focussing shock waves on the stones. The shock waves may be of substantially the same duration and rate as in lithotripters, except that instead of applying shock waves in a focussed condition, in the present invention the shock waves are applied in an unfocussed condition so as to repetitively and dynamically load a substantial area of the bone being treated.
The invention also provides apparatus for increasing the density and strength of the bone, particularly for preventing or treating osteoporosis, in accordance with the above method.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main parts of the apparatus of FIG. 1 involved in the treatment of bone in accordance with
REFERENCES:
patent: 4890603 (1990-01-01), Filler
patent: 4905671 (1990-03-01), Senge et al.
patent: 4905672 (1990-03-01), Schwarze et al.
patent: 4979501 (1990-12-01), Valchanov et al.
Friedman Mark M.
Medispec Ltd.
Smith Ruth S.
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