Lithotripsy refers to the crushing of what?

Lithotripsy refers to the crushing of what?

• A. Stones
• B. Tissues
• C. Teeth
• D. Bones

Answer: (A)

Lithotripsy is the crushing of stones in the body to help them pass or be removed. The word comes from Greek lithos meaning stone and triptein meaning to crush. In practice, it most often uses external shock waves to fragment kidney or urinary stones, sometimes with other methods to break stones in the biliary system or during endoscopic procedures. It targets stones, not soft tissues, teeth, or bones, which are treated with different techniques.

Lithotripsy is the crushing of stones in the body to help them pass or be removed. The word comes from Greek lithos meaning stone and triptein meaning to crush. In practice, it most often uses external shock waves to fragment kidney or urinary stones, sometimes with other methods to break stones in the biliary system or during endoscopic procedures. It targets stones, not soft tissues, teeth, or bones, which are treated with different techniques.