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ULTRASOUND STIMULATION OF MAXILLOFACIAL BONE HEALING

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Groningen, PO Box 30.001, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands;

*corresponding author, j.schortinghuis{at}kchir.azg.nl

A substantial part of the maxillofacial surgery practice deals with maxillofacial bone healing. In the past decades, low-intensity ultrasound treatment has been shown to reduce the healing time of fresh fractures of the extremities up to 38%, and to heal delayed and non-unions up to 90% and 83%, respectively. Based on the assumption that the process of bone healing in the bones of the extremities and maxillofacial skeleton is essentially the same, the potential of ultrasound to stimulate maxillofacial bone healing was investigated. Although limited evidence is available to support the susceptibility of maxillofacial bone to the ultrasound signal, ultrasound may be of value in the treatment of delayed unions, in callus maturation after distraction, and in the treatment of osteoradionecrosis.

Key words. Ultrasound, therapy, maxillofacial, bone, healing