Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields and Tissue Engineering of the Joints

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Bone and joint formation, maintenance, and regeneration are regulated by both chemical and physical signals. Among the physical signals there is an increasing realization of the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) in the treatment of nonunions of bone fractures. The discovery of the piezoelectric properties of bone by Fukada and Yasuda in 1953 in Japan established the foundation of this field. Pioneering research by Bassett and Brighton and their teams resulted in the approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the use of PEMF in the treatment of fracture healing. Although PEMF has potential applications in joint regeneration in osteoarthritis (OA), this evolving field is still in its infancy and offers novel opportunities. Methods We have systematically reviewed the literature on the influence of PEMF in joints, including articular cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, of publications from 2000 to 2016. Conclusions PEMF stimulated chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation, and extracellular matrix synthesis by release of anabolic morphogens such as bone morphogenetic proteins and anti-inflammatory cytokines by adenosine receptors A2 A and A3 in both in vitro and in vivo investigations. It is noteworthy that in clinical translational investigations a beneficial effect was observed on improving function in OA knees. However, additional systematic stud

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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