Bone Fracture Healing Therapy
BONE FRACTURE HEALING THERAPY
The use of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) is gaining acceptance for the treatment of ununited fractures. The results of 44 articles published in the English language literature have been compiled to assess the effectiveness of PEMF vs surgical therapy. For ununited tibial fractures, 81% of reported cases healed with PEMF vs 82% with surgery. After multiple failed surgeries, the success rate of PEMF is reported to be greater than with surgery; this discrepancy increases with additional numbers of prior surgeries. In infected nonunions, the results of surgical treatment decreased by 21% and were less than the results utilizing PEMF (69% vs 81%). In open fractures, surgical healing exceeded PEMF (89% vs 78%), whereas in closed injuries PEMF cases healed more frequently (85% vs 79%). In general, PEMF treatment of ununited fractures has proved to be more successful than noninvasive traditional management and at least as effective as surgical therapies. Given the costs and potential dangers of surgery, PEMF should be considered an effective alternative. Experience supports its role as a successful method of treatment for ununited fractures of the tibia.
By inducing a mild electrical magnetic current into damaged cells, PEMF therapy slows or stops the release of pain and inflammatory mediators, increases blood flow of the cells, and re-establishes normal cell interaction. With reduced inflammation, pain decreases, energy increases, and faster tissue healing occurs.
IT'S NOT MAGIC, IT'S SCIENCE
Study on Bone Healing Fracture Therapy:
https://www.healio.com/orthopedics/journals/ortho/1992-6-15-6/%7B0c579ae3-a2ee-4c37-9fe6-3935b1084961%7D/treatment-of-ununited-tibial-fractures-a-comparison-of-surgery-and-pulsed-electromagnetic-fields-pemf
https://journals.lww.com/jaaosglobal/Fulltext/2020/05000/Pulsed_Electromagnetic_Field_Stimulation_of_Bone.12.aspx?context=LatestArticleshttps://journals.lww.com/jaaosglobal/Fulltext/2020/05000/Pulsed_Electromagnetic_Field_Stimulation_of_Bone.12.aspx?context=LatestArticles