Extracorporeal shock wave therapy as a treatment for heterotopic ossification

Abstract

Background: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an intervention treatment in musculoskeletal conditions. Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a painful osseous condition of various origins, with the potential to cause significant incapacity. Objectives: To summarize the published data and assess the effectiveness of ESWT as a therapeutic intervention for patients with HO. Methods: A systematic search of the literature using Medline via Ovid, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. Reference lists of all articles found were also hand-searched. Articles were assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (OCEBM) hierarchy of evidence and were critically appraised using ..