Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for healing supracondylar fracture

Abstract

Introduction. Supracondylar fracture is the most common fracture in paediatrics. The present study aimed to detect the effectiveness of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on bone healing in supracondylar humeral fracture in children. Methods. A randomized controlled study was performed. It involved 30 children suffering from supracondylar fracture, aged 5-8 years, fulfilling inclusion criteria. They were randomly allocated in 2 groups: the control group received medical treatment only and the study group underwent similar medical treatment plus LIPUS (Osteotron III ITO device), program 4, at the frequency of 3 MHz by 160 mW/cm2 with 20% duty cycle, at the fracture site for 20 minutes daily. Standard anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the elbow, usually sufficient to characterize the fracture, were repeated each week until complete healing was achieved. Results. There was a significant difference between the groups as revealed by the unpaired t-test. The mean value for the onset of callus was 15.86 ± 0.74 days in the control group and 8.4 ± 1.35 days in the study group, with t = 18.74 and p = 0.0001. The mean value of complete healing time was 34.33 ± 1.39 days for the control group and 21.2 ± 3.09 days for the study group, with t = 14.96 and p = 0.0001. Conclusions. It can be concluded that LIPUS can be used effectively in promoting the healing process in patients with supracondylar fractures.