According to a new study, ultrasound could help tissue grafts to survive and thrive following surgery. As per recent evidence, ultrasound at lower frequency can also be used to help certain body tissues to cure and redevelop.

Low-intensity ultrasound can regenerate cartilage and bone. It can also be used in tissue engineering to stimulate cells. A patient's own fatty tissue is used by surgeons in procedures like facial plastic surgery, breast reconstruction and surgery on the vocal cords.

But, it varies from person to person that how well these tissue grafts survive. If the graft fails to get sufficient oxygen and glucose, the grafted tissue will fade and die.

A research team looked conducted a test to know whether ultrasound could improve the feasibility of grafted tissue during the post-op period. Adipose cells were used by the researchers for their experiments, which is taken from tissue left over from tummy-tuck operations and mouse muscle cells.

The test cells were treated with LIUS at 30mW/cm2 for short bursts of three or ten minutes, for a six-day period. The researchers examined for the number of cells, metabolism, viability and for signs of damage to the cells. LIUS can influence the viability of the cultured adipose cells, as per the results of the research conducted.

Lead author Dr. Hyoungshin Park, from MIT said, “In the context of using LIUS to enhance autograft survival, the possibility that the LIUS can directly activate signalling pathways in implanted cells needs to be taken into account”.