Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound — gentle ultrasound that supports the body's own bone healing
LIPUS delivers very gentle pulsed ultrasound waves to a fracture to activate the body's own bone-healing response.
Treatments are painless and only ~20 minutes a day, and can be done at the clinic or at home with a rental device.
In Japan it has been covered by health insurance for nonunion and delayed union since the late 1990s, and since 2006 for certain fractures following surgical fixation.
1,000 pulses per second pass through skin and even through a cast or splint
Mechanical micro-vibration stimulates osteoblasts to lay down new bone matrix
"Bridging" callus forms across the fracture and local circulation increases
Depending on the fracture type and site, shorter union time and faster functional recovery may be expected
Earlier studies reported shorter healing times, but large recent trials have not shown a clear benefit for fresh fractures. For nonunion and delayed union there are reports of improved bone healing, and LIPUS is positioned as one option when other treatments have not worked.
Insurance coverage has requirements.
It applies when started within 3 weeks of surgical fixation of a limb fracture (plate, intramedullary nail, etc.), or for nonunion and delayed union that have not responded to other treatment. Whether it applies in your case is decided at the consultation. It cannot be used in patients with pacemakers or with malignant tumors at the fracture site. Pregnant patients should always discuss it with their physician first.