Science Validates: ESWT and EMTT Accelerate Bone Regeneration for Faster Healing

The importance of effective fracture management in medicine cannot be understated. Fracture management is vital across many medical specialties, including sports medicine, orthopedics, primary care, physical therapy, podiatry, geriatric care, and more.

Slip and fall injuries can lead to an influx of fractures, and the combined power of Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy (EMTT) and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) by STORZ Medical offers a breakthrough solution. 

ESWT and EMTT are highly complementary, and this dynamic synergy ignites bone healing and enhances patient recovery. Both medical technologies provide evidence-based, non-invasive regenerative approaches in advanced bone regeneration and healing.

Understanding Bone Regeneration and Healing Delays

The biological process of bone healing is somewhat complex and multifaceted, with many cellular factors influencing it. At a cellular and molecular level, healing occurs in three phases: inflammation, repair, and remodeling. 

Other factors that significantly impact recovery and slow bone healing are fracture location, patient age, underlying medical conditions, poor circulation, balance and stability issues, weakened immune response, and smoking, to name a few.

Common challenges may arise during fracture recovery, which can complicate matters:

Delayed union: Refers to a fracture that eventually heals but has a longer-than-anticipated healing timeline. 

Non-union: A problematic fracture that fails to heal thoroughly.

Osteoporosis-related fractures:  These are exceptionally daunting to treat and care for because of the frailty of the bone, which occurs due to the condition. These fractures are at a high risk of complications, including delayed union and non-union.

Enter ESWT and EMTT, game-changing regenerative technologies that can stimulate osteogenesis and enhance recovery outcomes. Let’s dive into the particulars of each and the power of combining them.

How ESWT and EMTT Enhance Bone Regeneration

ESWT and EMTT advance healing timelines and play a role in bone healing. Here are the highlights of how each treatment modality influences bone.

1. ESWT’s Role in Bone Healing:
   • Shock waves awaken the body’s natural healing capacity.
   • ESWT facilitates bone activity at a cellular level.
   • Increases blood flow to the injured bone, stimulating regeneration.
   • Stimulates osteoblasts to improve fracture healing.
   • Promotes angiogenesis at the site of the fracture; new blood vessel formation advances healing.
   • Clinical benefits: reduced pain, increased mobility, and improved functional recovery
     
     
2. EMTT’s Role in Bone Regeneration
   • EMTT encourages osteoblast activity, which is integrally linked with bone formation
   • Electromagnetic stimulation improves circulation, oxygenation, and directs essential nutrients to deep musculoskeletal tissues and the impacted bone.
   • EMTT has been shown to intensify the proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (critical for bone regeneration).
   • By minimizing inflammation and reducing pain, EMTT effectively creates an optimal environment for bone healing. 
   • Enhancing microcirculation and promoting rapid healing of fractures.
   • Synergistic combined treatment with ESWT further accelerates cell proliferation and metabolic activity crucial to bone regeneration

These highly complementary technologies work together to deliver exceptional bone regeneration results and optimal patient outcomes.

ESWT and EMTT complement mechanical stimulation and amplify bone regeneration. This combination effectively treats non-union fractures, osteoarthritis, and spinal disorders.

Clinical Studies Validate the Efficacy of ESWT and EMTT for Bone Regeneration

Take a scientific deep dive and review noteworthy studies on the efficacy of ESWT and EMTT in bone healing.

Key Study 1: Focused ESWT for Non-Union Fractures

‘Focused Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Painful Delayed Union or Nonunion of Fractures of Interphalangeal Coalition’ written by  Yoshiharu Shimozono, MD, PhD, et al., was published in Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics 2024.

• Focused ESWT proved highly efficacious when treating delayed union and nonunion fractures of interphalangeal coalitions. 
• All nine patients in the case study achieved complete bone healing within 60 days, with pain scores plummeting to zero. 
• This non-invasive treatment offers a powerful solution for stubborn fractures, accelerating recovery and eliminating pain.
• Results demonstrate successful bone union in delayed-healing fractures.
• Diminished pain scores and improved radiological outcomes were evident.

Key Study 2: EMTT’s Effect on Bone Density and Fracture Recovery

"Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy as a New Form of Electromagnetic Wave Therapy: From Gene Upregulation to Accelerated Matrix Mineralization in Bone Healing" written by Lennart Gerdesmeyer et al., and published in Biomedicines 2024.

• This study affirms that EMTT boosts osteoblast activity, significantly influencing bone-forming gene expression and mineralization. 
• It also showed a sevenfold increase in essential bone regeneration markers and enhanced bone mineral density. 
• EMTT proves effective in strengthening bone, speeding fracture recovery, and supporting implant integration.
• EMTT is a groundbreaking approach for orthopedic care and bone regeneration.

Combined Treatment: ESWT and EMTT for Faster Healing

When combined, ESWT and EMTT, significantly advance bone regeneration and provide synergistic benefits in fracture recovery, as seen in the case studies featured here. 

Case Study 1: “Combined Electromagnetic and Electrohydraulic Focused ESWT and EMTT for Delayed Calcaneal Union in an Adolescent Parkour Athlete” This case report was written by Karsten Knobloch, FACS, MD, PhD,  Amol Saxena, DPM, and Wolfgang Schaden, MD, and published in the Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. Below, we highlight the problem, the solution, and the outcome.

• The Problem: 14-year-old male Parkour athlete with acute heel pain, diagnosed with calcaneus non-union fracture alongside the open calcaneal physis.
• The Solution: To substantially encourage and advance bone healing, physicians applied combined electromagnetic and electrohydraulic-focused ESWT and EMTT during five weekly sessions.
• The Outcome: Six weeks after treatments, patient healing was remarkable, demonstrating nearly complete restoration of the delayed union and 100 percent elimination of pain.
• Conclusion: The combined use of ESWT and EMTT demonstrably facilitate bony healing in adolescent calcaneal fractures with no negative impact.

Case Study 2: “Novel Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy with Magnetolith and High-Energy Focused Electromagnetic Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy as Bone Stimulation Therapy for Scaphoid Nonunion” by Karsten Knobloch, FACS, MD, PhD was published in Medicine Case Reports and Study protocols.

• The Problem: A 31-year-old male with chronic left wrist pain centered in the radial fossa struggled with daily activities and sports. His injury in 2005 at age 16 was ignored and not treated, leading to a scaphoid non-union. Historical procedures included bone grafting and Herbert screw fixation in 2012 and revision surgery in  2019. Imaging revealed a non-healing atrophic bone graft in the scaphoid region.
• The Solution: In 2020, the patient received three weekly EMTT and high-energy-focused ESWT sessions to speed up bone healing.
• The Outcome: A cone-beam CT scan confirmed successful bone healing five weeks after the final EMTT/ESWT session.
• Conclusion: Three weekly EMTT and high-energy focused ESWT sessions provide a robust, non-invasive approach to accelerating bone healing in scaphoid nonunion.

Dual treatment with ESWT and EMTT is validated by science and demonstrates measurable improvements in healing time, functional outcomes, and overwhelming patient satisfaction.

Practical Applications: Integrating ESWT and EMTT into Treatment Protocols

Looking to integrate ESWT and EMTT into your continuum of care? Be sure to read this article, Shockwave and EMTT: Onboarding and Best Practices to Achieve Optimal Success, and view the related webinar.

Dr. Brice Blatz, a leading expert in musculoskeletal regeneration, gives an insightful session on integrating shockwave and EMTT into your practice. He shares how he leverages these technologies for acute and chronic conditions and optimizes treatment protocols and best practices to enhance practice growth and ROI. 

EMTT and ESWT are highly effective for various musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions. Ideal candidates include:

• Patients with non-union, delayed union, and complex fractures.
• Athletes from high school to college to pro.
• Individuals with osteoarthritis and degenerative joint dysfunction.
• Older adults facing the impact of bone density issues.
• Supportive pre- and post-surgical treatments.
• Patients looking for non-invasive alternatives to surgery.

Conclusion: A Paradigm Shift in Fracture Healing

A palpable transformational change is occurring in medicine due to the revolutionary advancement in fracture healing and bone regeneration. The growing body of evidence supporting ESWT and EMTT is expected to expand, and clinical evidence is meaningful and influential.

EMTT and ESWT offer a powerful, non-invasive remedy for those seeking accelerated healing, pain relief, and improved function by targeting bone, tendon, ligament, muscle, and joint health. 

Interested in more detailed information on ESWT and EMTT for specific conditions? Contact us, and we’ll connect you with a device expert to answer your questions.