Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Painful Chronic Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Report

Neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) is a process of benign bone formation and growth in soft tissues surrounding major synovial joints and is associated with central nervous system (CNS) injuries. It is a common complication in major CNS injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke. Here, we report the case of a 72-year-old male, who experienced a traumatic brain injury and painful chronic NHO around the left hip joint. Three applications of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) were administered to the area of NHO, which resulted in pain relief and an improvement in the loss of motion in the left hip joint. Improvements were also noted in walking performance and activities of daily living, although the size of NHO remained unchanged. Therapeutic effects of ESWT lasted for 12 weeks.