Can Direct Current Electrotherapy Be Used for Patients With Orthopedic Implants?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic rehabilitation
• Biomedical engineering
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Electrotherapy offers promising applications for postoperative orthopedic rehabilitation.
• However, limited research exists on the safety of electrotherapy for patients with orthopedic implants, particularly concerning potential heating effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety of common electrotherapy modalities when used with orthopedic implants.
• Specifically, to determine if therapeutic electrical currents cause excessive heating of metal implants.

Main Methods:

• Three electrotherapy forms were tested: high-volt stimulation (HVS), transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), and galvanic current (GAL).
• A model system with a metal implant plate was used to measure temperature changes during electrotherapy application.

Main Results:

• Temperature increases for HVS, GAL, and TENS were measured in the model system.
• All observed temperature changes remained below the predefined safety threshold of 3°C.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first experimental evidence that prolonged exposure to therapeutic direct electrical current does not lead to significant heating of metal titanium plates.
• These findings suggest that electrotherapy modalities like HVS, TENS, and GAL can be safely used in patients with titanium orthopedic implants.