A method and kit for therapeutically treating bone and tissue injuries
using ultrasound. The method includes the steps of introducing an
ultrasound contrast agent into the patient, preferably, the patient's
blood stream, and impinging ultrasonic waves in proximity to an injury.
The ultrasound contrast agent facilitate in lowering the cavitation
threshold, i.e., the energy required for the cavitation, to a level
attainable by the ultrasonic waves to induce acoustic intracellular
microstreaming to accelerate the healing process. The method further
includes the steps of maintaining the resonance bubble frequency of the
microbubbles of the ultrasound contrast agent from 0.5 MHz to 10 MHz;
maintaining the acoustic transmit frequency of the ultrasound waves from
10 kHz to 10 MHz; and maintaining the acoustic spatial average-temporal
average (SATA) intensity of the ultrasonic waves from 5 to 500
mW/cm.sup.2. The kit of the invention includes at least one ergonomically
constructed ultrasonic transducer (16) configured to cooperate with a
placement module (14) for placement in proximity to an injury and a
portable, ergonomically constructed main operating unit (12) constructed
to fit within a pouch (18) worn by the patient.