Androjna Caroline, Fort Brian, Zborowski Maciej, Midura Ronald J
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
Bioelectromagnetics. 2014 Sep;35(6):396-405. doi: 10.1002/bem.21855. Epub 2014 Apr 24.
Delayed bone healing has been noted in osteoporosis patients and in the ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of estrogen-depletion osteopenia. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices are clinically approved as an adjunct to cervical fusion surgery in patients at high risk for non-fusion and for the treatment of fracture non-unions. These bone growth stimulating devices also accelerate the healing of fresh fracture repair in skeletally mature normal rats but have not been tested for efficacy to accelerate and/or enhance the delayed bone repair process in OVX rats. The current study tested the hypothesis that daily PEMF treatments would improve the fracture healing response in skeletally mature OVX rats. By 6 weeks of healing, PEMF treatments resulted in improved hard callus elastic modulus across fibula fractures normalizing the healing process in OVX rats with respect to this mechanical property. Radiographic evidence showed an improved hard callus bridging across fibula fractures in OVX rats treated with PEMF as compared to sham treatments. These findings provide a scientific rationale for investigating whether PEMF might improve bone-healing responses in at-risk osteoporotic patients.
骨质疏松症患者以及雌激素缺乏性骨质减少的卵巢切除（OVX）大鼠模型中均已发现存在骨愈合延迟的情况。脉冲电磁场（PEMF）设备在临床上被批准用于有不融合高风险的患者的颈椎融合手术辅助治疗以及骨折不愈合的治疗。这些促进骨生长的设备也能加速骨骼成熟的正常大鼠新鲜骨折修复的愈合，但尚未针对其在加速和/或增强OVX大鼠延迟骨修复过程中的疗效进行测试。当前研究检验了以下假设：每日进行PEMF治疗会改善骨骼成熟的OVX大鼠的骨折愈合反应。到愈合6周时，PEMF治疗使腓骨骨折处的硬骨痂弹性模量得到改善，使OVX大鼠在这一力学性能方面的愈合过程正常化。影像学证据显示，与假治疗相比，接受PEMF治疗的OVX大鼠腓骨骨折处的硬骨痂桥接情况有所改善。这些发现为研究PEMF是否可能改善高危骨质疏松症患者的骨愈合反应提供了科学依据。
