Bioelectric Stimulation of Bone Formation: Methods, Models, and Mechanisms

Abstract

The use of electromagnetic fields and currents to enhance the growth of bone tissue and to help heal difficult fractures continues to gain increasing attention. The literature reveals many differing techniques and animal models and a dearth of studies of the mecha-nism(s) that might explain the phenomenon. The present review attempts to approach the subject from the point of view of methods used, rather than its historical development. It is meant as a guide and primer, relying on the bibliography for further detail. After surveying the technqiues and their features, and the model experiments that have been used to demonstrate bone growth, an outline of the possible mechanisms is presented in the hope that a basic understanding and unification of underlying principles might someday evolve from the empirical approach of the past.