News: Spectrum backs ASSERT protocol
The ASSERT (Assessment of effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) for soft tissue injuries) protocol has been developed by Professor Nicola Maffulli, one of the most pre-eminent sport medicine and orthopaedic consultants in the UK and the Professor of Sport and Exercise Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
As the driving force behind the development of ESWT technology in the UK through the distribution of its Swiss DolorClast device, Spectrum is fully behind any initiative that encourages a consistent approach to the use of ESWT in a clinical setting.
Spectrum Technology Managing Partner, Jim Westwood, said: “We are already heavily involved in giving our clinicians the necessary training and education to deliver the best possible clinical result using ESWT technology so any initiative that will officially monitor how ESWT is being used on a national scale has our full backing.
“Establishing a ‘best practice’ approach is crucial for the continued development of the technology and we will be actively encouraging our clinicians to sign up to ASSERT and take part using their Swiss DolorClast device.”
ASSERT will be the largest and most comprehensive national database ever collected about Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and a number of orthopaedic surgeons have already agreed to take part. A special website portal has been set up to securely handle patient data and the input process takes only a matter of minutes.
The treatment results that will be recorded on the database will relate to various soft tissue injuries that include Calcific Tendinopathy of the shoulder, Plantar Fasciitis, Tennis Elbow, Achilles Tendonitis, Trochanteric Bursitis and Patellar tendinopathy.
Any clinicians using the Swiss DolorClast that would like to sign up to ASSERT should contact Professor Maffulli and his team by sending an e-mail to info@assert.org.uk