Bioelectric repair of metatarsal nonunions

An exciting new development in the field of bone physiology has been the discovery of electrical potentials in stressed bone and the relation of this knowledge to Wolff's law. The application of these discoveries for the treatment of nonunions by exogenous bioelectric potentials via direct current and pulsed electromagnetic fields has been a major development in orthopedic surgery. To date, the literature reports the use of this new treatment modality in the large long bones of the extremities. The authors have utilized these techniques to repair nonunions of the metatarsals and, in the process, have adapted some of the principles for the small bones of the foot.