Lack of induced increase in sister chromatid exchanges in human lymphocytes exposed to in vivo therapeutic ultrasound

In 1984 Stella et al. reported that each of 10 patients exposed to therapeutic ultrasound had a statistically significant increase in sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) at mid- and end of therapy; there was a wide range of clinical symptoms (e.g., elbow epicondylitis to knee arthrosis) in this set of patients. In the present study, a set of 4 patients each with some diagnosis recommending therapeutic ultrasound was similarly tested for SCE induction; an additional set of 4 healthy persons underwent sham-therapeutic ultrasound exposures. For both sets of subjects (patients, nonpatients) there was no increase in the frequency of SCEs.