Effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for neurogenic heterotopic ossification following traumatic brain injury: A case report

Background and Objective Neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) is a process of benign bone formation and growth in soft tissues surrounding major synovial joints and is associated with central nervous system (CNS) injuries. It is a common complication in major CNS injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke. It is often accompanied by severe pain and loss of motion, which may lead to limitation in activities of daily living. Currently, a common intervention for NHO is surgery, which has been reported to carry many additional risks, Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has emerged as one potential treatment method. Patient Report We present a case report of a 29-year-old patient with heterotopic ossification of the left and right side elbow soft tissue, as a result of traumatic brain injury. Three applications of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) were administered to the area of NHO. ESWT protocol consisted of 3,000 pulses at a frequency of 12 Hz during each treatment and the intensity level ranged from 2–5 bars.Conclusion ESWT improved range of motion, and hand function in patients with neurogenic HO in the upper extremity. Further studies are needed to support these results and to understand the mechanism and to devise the protocol of ESWT for neurogenic HO.

کلیدواژه ها:

Heterotopic ossification ، Extracorporeal shock wave therapy ، Brain injury