[Electrical stimulation in the treatment of osteoporosis in sciatic denervated rat tibia]

Osteoporosis in the sciatic-denervated rat tibia was reversed with a capacitively coupled electrical field. In the reversal of a previously established osteoporosis, a statistically significant enhancement of wet weight, dry weight, ashed weight, ultimate strength, cortical area, cortical thickness and a concomitant decrease in cortical porosity occurred in the stimulated, denervated tibiae of the experimental animals compared with the nonstimulated, denervated tibiae of the control animals. A 60 Hz symmetrical sinewave signal was effective in reversing osteoporosis at 10 V peak to peak. Reversal of a well-established osteoporosis in laboratory animals has not been reported previously.