Effects of electromagnetic fields on bone regeneration in experimental and clinical studies： a review of the literature

Objective To assess the experimental and clinical data regarding the effects of electromagnetic fields （EMFs） on fracture non-union.Data sources The English language literature regarding EMFs on fracture non-union were searched using MEDLINE,Web of Science and Embase,for the period January 2006 to June 2011.The search terms were electromagnetic fields and non-union/bone marrow stem cells （BMSCs）/bone.Study selection Articles were included in the review if they were related to the use of EMFs on BMSCs or bone tissue.Papers without full manuscripts available were excluded.Results The basic and clinical research in this field,while somewhat limited,supports the insightful application of EMFs to ameliorate disability due to fracture non-union.Conclusions Further basic and clinical research to validate the use of EMFs in facilitating function and bone reparative processes in fracture non-union is required.Keywords：