The Use of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields to Promote Bone Responses to Biomaterials In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract

Implantable biomaterials are extensively used to promote bone regeneration or support endosseous prosthesis in orthopedics and dentistry. Their use, however, would benefit from additional strategies to improve bone responses. Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMFs) have long been known to act on osteoblasts and bone, affecting their metabolism, in spite of our poor understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Hence, we have the hypothesis that PEMFs may also ameliorate cell responses to biomaterials, improving their growth, differentiation, and the expression of a mature phenotype and therefore increasing the tissue integration of the implanted devices and their clinical success. A broad range of settings used for PEMFs stimulation still represents a hurdle to better define treatment protocols and extensive research is needed to overcome this issue. The present review includes studies that investigated the effects of PEMFs on the response of bone cells to different classes of biomaterials and the reports that focused on in vivo investigations of biomaterials implanted in bone.

The combinatory effect of sinusoidal electromagnetic field and VEGF promotes osteogenesis and angiogenesis of mesenchymal stem cell-laden PCL/HA implants in a rat subcritical cranial defect

“…To achieve a better bone defect recovery, tissue materials combined with EMF have also been investigated recent years. However, the overwhelming majority of studies focused on the pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) with biomaterials to enhance osteogenesis [39]. Although sinusoidal electromagnetic fields (SEMF) also could increase the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs [27–29], the combined effect of SEMF with bioscaffolds to restore the bone defect has not yet been reported.…”

In Vitro Production of Calcified Bone Matrix onto Wool Keratin Scaffolds via Osteogenic Factors and Electromagnetic Stimulus

“…The use of PEMF might be a potential adjuvant treatment to enhance the osseointegration process. The effects of PEMF on osteoblasts onto different biomaterials have been investigated in several in vitro and in vivo studies [ 14 ]. PEMFs act on osteoblasts, improving their growth, differentiation and expression of a mature phenotype on implanted materials and, as consequence, promote tissue integration [ 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

“…Both traction and compression vary the activities of intracellular signaling molecules such as Rho GTPases, guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GTPase activating proteins, and the MAPK pathway, consequently modulating the expression of transcription factors essential for the homeostasis of bone, cartilage and tooth tissues [ 13 ]. As a consequence, we can hypothesize the significance of PEMF application to improve the clinical outcome of numerous regenerative and prosthetic therapies in orthopedics and dentistry fields [ 14 ].…”

Current Trends in Fabrication of Biomaterials for Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: Materials Modifications and Biophysical Stimulations

“…Magnetic field is another type of external biophysical stimulation proved to substantially improve regeneration process [32,90]. Therefore there is a trend in engineering of biomaterials towards production of biomaterials with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) incorporated [91,92]. Novel approach to bone and cartilage regeneration includes the use of MNPs-loaded scaffolds combined with magnetic field stimulation in order to accelerate tissue regeneration and in the case of bone implants also angiogenesis process.…”