Comparative study of bone growth by pulsed electromagnetic fields

Pulsed electromagnetic fields have been widely used for treatment of non-united fractures and congenital pseudarthrosis. Several electrical stimulation systems such as air-cored and iron-cored coils and solenoids have been used the world over and claimed to be effective. Electrical parameters such as pulse shape, magnitude and frequency differ widely, and the exact bone-healing mechanism is still not clearly understood. The study attempts to analytically investigate the effectiveness of various parameters and suggests an optimal stimulation waveform. Mathematical analysis of electric fields inside the bone together with Fourier analysis of induced voltage waveforms produced by commonly used electrical stimulation wave-forms has been performed. A hypothesis based on assigning different weightings to different frequencies for osteogenic response has been proposed. Using this hypothesis astonishingly similar effective values of electric fields have been found in different systems. It is shown that effective electric field rather than peak electric field is the main parameter responsible for osteogenesis. The results are in agreement with experimental findings made on human beings by different investigators.