Extracorporeal Shock Wave Stimulates Angiogenesis and Collagen Production in Facial Soft Tissue.

Abstract Background This study investigated the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave (ESW) application in stimulating dermal thickness, vascularity, and collagen synthesis of facial skin in a large animal model. Materials and methods The facial skin of the maxillary and mandibular areas of goats (n = 6 per group) was treated with ESWs of different intensities (0.15 and 0.45 mJ/mm2; 1000 pulses). After 4 d, histology and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the following: dermal thickness, total number and abundance of microvessels, amount of type 1 collagen, and α-smooth muscle actin expression. Results Dermal thickness, number and abundance of microvessels, and collagen synthesis in…