Preliminary study of quantitative aspects and the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field treatment on the incorporation of equine cancellous bone grafts

Abstract

The quantitative aspects of equine cancellous bone graft incorporation and the possibility of influencing graft incorporation by daily exposure to a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) was studied in eight yearling ponies. In order to be able to quantify formative aspects of graft remodelling, a double and treble tetracycline intravital labelling technique was used. Intravital radiographs were obtained at regular intervals throughout the trial, but were found to be of little assistance in assessing any differences between stimulated and non-stimulated grafts. The ponies were humanely destroyed at regular intervals between nine and 241 days after installation of the graft. Light microscopy and fluorescent light microscopy were used to evaluate quantitative aspects of graft incorporation and to compare PEMF-stimulated grafts with control grafts. There was a small but statistically significant effect of PEMF-stimulation on cancellous bone graft incorporation. In view of this, these observations can only be considered as indicative of a possible trend, but should encourage further studies using different signal modalities.