Ultrasound Ablation: New Possibilities for Treatment of Bone and Soft-Tissue Tumors

Focused high intensity ultrasound (HIFU) with sighting influence on tumor enabled to cause its complete coagulative necrosis without damage to intact environmental tissues. The possibilities of ultrasound ablation as the method of local treatment of bone and soft-tissue tumor were considered. Physical principles of method, criteria for patient selection, treatment technique as well as clinical outcomes and their evaluation were presented. Advantages of method are non-invasiveness, less traumatization, less technical complexity and dependence on surgeon skill compared with other sparing operations and methods of ablation. When necessary HIFU may be repeated several times. Effect of HIFU is independent on tumor type. Possible complications (secondary infection in coagulative necrosis zone, peripheral nerves damage, pathological fractures) and measures of their prevention are presented.