Academic Journal
Shock wave therapy versus conventional physical therapy for partial-thickness forearm burn scars: A randomized controlled trial.
| Τίτλος: | Shock wave therapy versus conventional physical therapy for partial-thickness forearm burn scars: A randomized controlled trial. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Elgohary HM; Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jerash University, Jerash, Jordan; Department of Physical Therapy for Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: hmielgohary@gmail.com., Elfeky HM; Basic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt. Electronic address: Heba.elfeky@cu.edu.eg., Elfahl AM; Physical Therapy department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al -Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11732, Jordan. Electronic address: a.ahmed@zuj.edu.jo. |
| Πηγή: | Burns : journal of the International Society for Burn Injuries [Burns] 2026 Nov; Vol. 52 (8), pp. 108116. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 16. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Comparative Study |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 8913178 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-1409 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 03054179 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Burns Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Amsterdam : Elsevier Original Publication: [Guildford, Surrey, UK] : Butterworths, [c1989- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Burns*/complications , Cicatrix*/therapy , Cicatrix*/etiology , Cicatrix*/diagnostic imaging , Forearm Injuries*/complications , Forearm Injuries*/therapy , High-Energy Shock Waves*/therapeutic use , Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy*/methods , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic*/therapy , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic*/etiology , Physical Therapy Modalities*, Humans ; Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasonography |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Burn scars are the lasting marks left on the skin following a burn injury, which can arise from exposure to heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation. Burn scars can have both physical and psychological impacts, affecting mobility, sensitivity, and self-esteem. Objectives: To explore and compare the efficacy of shock wave therapy (SWT) vs. conventional physical therapy in the treatment of partial-thickness forearm burn scars. Methods: Double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT). Seventy patients aged 20-55 with partial-thickness forearm burns were allocated into two groups: Group A (35 participants) got SWT, whereas Group B (35 participants) had traditional physical therapy with a deactivated applicator. Ultrasonography assessment, the Vancouver Scar Scale, and the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) were evaluated at baseline, after 8 weeks (post intervention), and following an additional 8-week period of follow-up. Treatments Consisted of 24 sessions, each lasting 45 min, and conducted three times per week. Results: No notable changes were detected between groups at baseline assessment. Both groups exhibited statistically significant enhancements across all outcome measures (VAS, thickness, VSS, and BSHS) from pre to post and pre to follow-up, as evidenced by the 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that do not intersect zero in any comparison. Group A consistently had shorter and elevated confidence intervals (CIs); for instance, the VAS pre-post CI was (4.70, 6.36) in Group A compared to (4.19, 6.86) in Group B, and the BSHS pre-post CI was (26.23, 106.66) in Group A vs (28.07, 105.23) in Group B. Furthermore, Group A exhibited significant enhancement in VAS (η²p = 0.82 and 0.80), VSS (η²p = 0.80 and 0.79), and BSHS (η²p = 0.85 for both pre-post and pre-follow-up), signifying a considerable intervention impact. Conclusion: SWT has been demonstrated to be effective in improving the properties of scar tissue, particularly by alleviating pain and enhancing the appearance of hypertrophic scars. (Copyright © 2026 International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Burn rehabilitation; Partial- thickness burn; Scars; Shock wave therapy |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260701 Date Completed: 20260916 Latest Revision: 20261006 |
| Update Code: | 20261006 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.burns.2026.108116 |
| PMID: | 42385475 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1879-1409 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.burns.2026.108116 |