Numerical study of therapeutic shockwave treatment on a thoracic spine segment

Abstract

Malignant tumors arising from mesenchymal tissues (bones or cartilages) have the worst prognosis. Currently, the development of minimally invasive and non-invasive methods for treating patients in the early stages, used separately and in combination with existing treatment methods, is relevant. In this work, we study numerically the mechanical behavior of the thoracic spine affected by osteosarcoma under shock wave treatment using an invasive applicator placement technique. The results obtained indicate that the optimal range for initiating the deactivation process with minimal risks of bone tissue destruction is the shock wave loading with energy flux density (EFD) in the range from 0.005 to 0.15 mJ/mm². By further increasing in the amplitude of the therapeutic shock wave treatment (with invasive installation of the applicator), the formation and expressive growth of stroma around the tumor is possible.