When using ultrasound, cavitation can occur in which of the following?

• A. After laminectomy
• B. Carotid sinus
• C. Infected wound
• D. Plastic implants

Answer: (A)

Cavitation with ultrasound happens when acoustic energy interacts with gas bubbles in tissue. Gas pockets provide nuclei that can rapidly oscillate and collapse under the ultrasound field, which is most likely to occur in areas where gas-forming bacteria have created pockets in the tissue. An infected wound often contains such gas pockets, making it the setting where cavitation is most likely. The post-laminectomy site typically lacks gas pockets, the carotid sinus is a vascular/soft-tissue area without inherent gas, and plastic implants are solid materials that don’t normally harbor gas pockets—so they’re less likely to undergo cavitation under standard therapeutic ultrasound.