The Feasibility of Using Pulsatile Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) to Enhance the Regenerative Ability of Dermal Biomaterial Scaffolds

Abstract

Degradable regenerative scaffolds usually require adjunctive treatment to meet the clinical healing performance requirements. This study was designed to look at pulsatile electromagnetic fields (PEMF) as an adjunctive therapy for these scaffolds in skin wounds; however, no scaffold was used in this study in order to isolate the effects of PEMF alone. In this study, New Zealand rabbits received four full-thickness defects with a size of 3 cm × 3 cm on the dorsolateral aspect. The rabbits in the treatment group were placed in a chamber and subjected to a PEMF at six different predetermined frequency and intensity combinations for 2 h a day for a 2-week period. At the end of the 2-week period, the animals were sacrificed and tissue samples were taken. Half of each tissue sample was used for histomorphometric analysis and the other half was for tensile testing. The study showed an increased healing response by all the PEMF treatments compared to that in the control, although different combinations led to increases in different aspects of the healing response. This suggests that although some treatments are better for the critical clinical parameter—healing rate, it might be beneficial to use treatments in the early stages to increase angiogenesis before the treatment is switched to the one best for the healing rate to get an even better haling rate.

Keywords

• electrical stimulation
• skin wound healing
• adjunctive wound healing therapy