We review some recent results on the calculation of renormalization co
nstants in Yang-Mills theory using the bosonic string. The technology
of string amplitudes, supplemented with an appropriate continuation of
f the mass shell, can be used to compute the ultraviolet divergences o
f dimensionally regularised gauge theories. Performing the infinite te
nsion Limit on the string amplitudes the results of the background fie
ld method in field theory are recovered.