Thaindian News

London, Nov 23 (IANS) An ultrasound device that fires sound waves into chronic wounds like leg ulcers can accelerate healing.

Research shows treating wounds with high-intensity ultrasound, which helps to clean the wound of debris, can significantly improve the rate at which they heal. Now, a trial is under way to study this exact rate.

A significant number of people suffering from chronic wounds have diabetes - one in six people with this condition will develop a non-healing ulcer.

There are a number of treatments, from antibiotics to surgery, but in many cases wounds fail to heal for weeks, months, or even years. In severe cases, amputation of a limb may be necessary, the Daily Mail reports.

Now, ultrasound could prove an effective new option. A study at the Mayo Clinic in the US found that more wounds healed with ultrasound than with conventional therapy alone, according to a Mayo Clinic statement.

After 12 weeks, 63 percent of ultrasound-treated patients had healing rates greater than 50 percent, compared with 29 percent of patients given standard care. Ultrasound was given three times a week for five minutes a session.

Another trial is under way at the Centre for Curative And Palliative Wound Care in New York, comparing the rate of ­healing in chronic wounds treated by ultrasound with standard wound care.

Scientists say ultrasound is an effective way of eliminating bacteria in a wound, which interferes with healing. It also helps preserve healthy tissue and protect newly-formed tissue.