Biomaterial Database

Electrical stimulation for fracture healing: current evidence. 2010

Christina Goldstein, and Sheila Sprague, and Bradley A Petrisor

Division of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. clgoldstein@cogeco.ca

This article provides an overview of the biology behind the use of electrical stimulation in fracture healing and discusses the current methods of electrical bone growth stimulation. In addition, we review the best available clinical evidence for the use of electrical stimulation in the treatment of delayed and nonunions of fractures. Our search identified 4 meta-analyses on the use of electrical stimulation on fracture healing. The most methodologically rigorous and recent meta-analysis suggests that the current evidence is insufficient to conclude a benefit of electromagnetic stimulation in improving the rate of union in patients with a fresh fracture, osteotomy, delayed union, or nonunion. The other 3 meta-analyses that we identified suggested a more significant treatment effect from electrical stimulation. Although the evidence supporting electrical stimulation does trend in favor of its use to help achieve bony union, further large, multicenter, randomized, controlled trials are required to resolve the current uncertainty surrounding the use of electrical stimulation and fracture healing.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D001842	Bone and Bones	A specialized CONNECTIVE TISSUE that is the main constituent of the SKELETON. The principal cellular component of bone is comprised of OSTEOBLASTS; OSTEOCYTES; and OSTEOCLASTS, while FIBRILLAR COLLAGENS and hydroxyapatite crystals form the BONE MATRIX.	Bone Tissue,Bone and Bone,Bone,Bones,Bones and Bone,Bones and Bone Tissue,Bony Apophyses,Bony Apophysis,Condyle,Apophyses, Bony,Apophysis, Bony,Bone Tissues,Condyles,Tissue, Bone,Tissues, Bone
D004599	Electric Stimulation Therapy	Application of electric current in treatment without the generation of perceptible heat. It includes electric stimulation of nerves or muscles, passage of current into the body, or use of interrupted current of low intensity to raise the detection threshold of the skin to pain.	Electrotherapy,Electrical Stimulation Therapy,Interferential Current Electrotherapy,Therapeutic Electric Stimulation,Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation,Therapy, Electric Stimulation,Electric Stimulation, Therapeutic,Electrical Stimulation, Therapeutic,Electrotherapy, Interferential Current,Stimulation Therapy, Electric,Stimulation Therapy, Electrical,Stimulation, Therapeutic Electric,Stimulation, Therapeutic Electrical,Therapy, Electrical Stimulation
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D017102	Fracture Healing	The physiological restoration of bone tissue and function after a fracture. It includes BONY CALLUS formation and normal replacement of bone tissue.	Fracture Healings,Healing, Fracture,Healings, Fracture
D050723	Fractures, Bone	Breaks in bones.	Bone Fractures,Broken Bones,Spiral Fractures,Torsion Fractures,Bone Fracture,Bone, Broken,Bones, Broken,Broken Bone,Fracture, Bone,Fracture, Spiral,Fracture, Torsion,Fractures, Spiral,Fractures, Torsion,Spiral Fracture,Torsion Fracture
D019317	Evidence-Based Medicine	An approach of practicing medicine with the goal to improve and evaluate patient care. It requires the judicious integration of best research evidence with the patient's values to make decisions about medical care. This method is to help physicians make proper diagnosis, devise best testing plan, choose best treatment and methods of disease prevention, as well as develop guidelines for large groups of patients with the same disease. (from JAMA 296 (9), 2006)	Medicine, Evidence-Based,Evidence Based Medicine,Medicine, Evidence Based