Focused ultrasound-mediated drug delivery systems: a technological overview, possible musculoskeletal applications, and future directions

Background: Innovation in focused ultrasound (FUS) has led to new applications for treating musculoskeletal pathologies, including oncologic, infectious, and degenerative diseases. Focused ultrasound-mediated drug delivery is particularly interesting in fields in which high selectivity and localized action are needed to avoid unwanted side effects or therapy failure, for example with antineoplastic and antimicrobial drugs. Method: For this paper, a literature search of the PubMed database was performed using the keywords "focused ultrasound" and "musculoskeletal applications". Conclusion: This review article presents an overview of the currently available technologies for focused ultrasound-mediated drug delivery and their possible musculoskeletal applications, along with a discussion of recent promising preclinical and clinical results. Key Points: · Focused ultrasound is able to deliver drugs in a very selective way.. · Focused ultrasound-mediated hyperthermia may be promising for treating bone infections.. · Focused ultrasound-mediated drug delivery may also be an elegant method for treating bone cancer and arthritis.. Citation Format: · Sassi R, Gazzotti S, Aparisi Gómez MP et al. Focused ultrasound-mediated drug delivery systems: a technological overview, possible musculoskeletal applications, and future directions. Rofo 2025; DOI 10.1055/a-2760-5392.