A systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies – Limited regeneration after nerve injury often leads to delayed or incomplete reinnervation and consequently insufficient muscle function. Following nerve surgery, application of low-intensity ultrasound or extracorporeal shock waves may promote nerve regeneration and improve functional outcomes. Because currently clinical data is unavailable, we performed a meta-analysis following...Read More
We tested the hypothesis that extracorporeal shock wave (ECSW) therapy can effectivelyprotect sciatic nerve (SN) from diabetes mellitus (DM)-induced neuropathy in leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice. Methodsand results: Eighteen-week C57BL/6 mice (n=8) served as age-matched controls (group 1) and ob/ob mice (n=16)were categorized into DM (group 2) and DM + ECSW (0.12 mJ/mm2for 4 times of 200...Read More
Background-—Paraplegia following spinal cord ischemia represents a devastating complication of both aortic surgery and endovascular aortic repair. Shock wave treatment was shown to induce angiogenesis and regeneration in ischemic tissue by modulation of early inflammatory response via Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 signaling. In preclinical and clinical studies, shock wave treatment had a favorable effect on...Read More
The gold standard for peripheral nerve regeneration uses a sensory autograft to bridge a motor/sensory defect site. For motor nerves to regenerate, Schwann cells (SC) myelinate the newly grown axon. Sensory SCs have a reduced ability to produce myelin, partially explaining low success rates of autografts. This issue is masked in pre-clinical research by the...Read More
(Alexandra Aicher, MD; Christopher Heeschen, MD; Ken-ichiro Sasaki, MD; Carmen Urbich, PhD; Andreas M. Zeiher, MD; Stefanie Dimmeler, PhD) – Stem and progenitor cell therapy is a novel approach to improve neovascularization and function of ischemic tissue. Enhanced tissue expression of chemoattractant factors such as stromal cell–derived factor 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor is crucial...Read More
(Johannes Holfeld, Can Tepeköylü, Radoslaw Kozaryn, Anja Urbschat, Kai Zacharowski, Michael Grimm, and Patrick Paulus) – Shock wave therapy (SWT) reportedly improves ventricular function in ischemic heart failure. Angiogenesis and inflammation modulatory effects were described. However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that SWT modulates inflammation via toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) through the release of...Read More
(Swiss Paraplegic Centre Nottwil) – Spasticity is the most problematic self-reported secondary medical problem in patients with spinal cord injury. It has the potential to negatively influence quality of life through restricting activities of daily living. Problematic spasticity can cause pain and fatigue, disturb sleep, contribute to the development of contractures and pressure ulcers, and has a...Read More
(University Hospital for Cardiac Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria, 2 Division of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria, 3 University Hospital for Dermatology and Venerology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria, 4 University Hospital for Internal Medicine III, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Innsbruck Medical University,...Read More
Shock waves are defined as types of acoustic pressure waves that develop during sudden releases of energy. The best-known natural phenomenon is thunder following lightning. Another example is the “bang” an aircraft produces when it breaks the sound barrier. Both focused shock waves and unfocused sound waves are produced in these examples. Additionally, almost all...Read More
