Which of the following is a therapeutic effect sought with modalities such as ultrasound?

Which of the following is a therapeutic effect sought with modalities such as ultrasound?

• A. Increase rate of tissue repair and wound healing
• B. Decrease tissue extensibility
• C. Decrease blood flow
• D. Promote myositis ossificans

Answer: (A)

Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create heat and mechanical effects in tissues. This combination boosts cellular activity, increases blood flow, enhances metabolic processes, and stimulates tissue repair and collagen synthesis. Because of these effects, promoting the rate of tissue repair and wound healing is a primary therapeutic goal when using ultrasound. Decreasing tissue extensibility would counter the heating effect that can improve pliability of collagen-rich tissues, so it’s not the intended outcome. Reducing blood flow is opposite to the perfusion increase typically produced by ultrasound. Promoting myositis ossificans is a harmful, undesired outcome; ultrasound is not used to encourage bone formation in soft tissues.

Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create heat and mechanical effects in tissues. This combination boosts cellular activity, increases blood flow, enhances metabolic processes, and stimulates tissue repair and collagen synthesis. Because of these effects, promoting the rate of tissue repair and wound healing is a primary therapeutic goal when using ultrasound.

Decreasing tissue extensibility would counter the heating effect that can improve pliability of collagen-rich tissues, so it’s not the intended outcome. Reducing blood flow is opposite to the perfusion increase typically produced by ultrasound. Promoting myositis ossificans is a harmful, undesired outcome; ultrasound is not used to encourage bone formation in soft tissues.