A preliminary investigation of the effect of selected electromagnetic field devices on healing of cannon bone osteotomies in horses.

The research conducted a preliminary examination of the impact of select electromagnetic field devices on the healing process of bone fractures (specifically cannon bone osteotomies) in horses. The results of the study suggested that these devices did not influence the repair process of such fractures.

Initial Hypothesis and Objective

• The goal of this research was to investigate whether certain electromagnetic field technologies can assist in the healing process of cannon bone osteotomies (a surgical procedure that involves slicing or sectioning the bone) in horses. Given the promising applications of electromagnetic fields in medicine, this study aimed to observe any possible beneficial effects on bone regeneration.

Research Design and Methods

• The defects for this study were created as 3 cm x 1 mm longitudinal osteotomies in specific areas of adult horse bones that would resemble acute, stable fractures, providing a good comparison for analyzing healing in real-world fracture scenarios.
• Three electromagnetic devices of disparate designs were tested in three different groups of horses to cover the possible variations in device impact.
• The healing process was evaluated both radiographically (using X-rays to visualize the fractured area) and histologically (studying the microscopic anatomy of tissues).

Major Findings and Conclusion

• The results of the study demonstrated that the treatment of fractures with electromagnetic devices had a similar healing time to the untreated controls. This suggests that the devices did not have any significant impact on the bone repair process.
• The authors concluded that the particular electromagnetic devices studied in this research did not exhibit a clear beneficial effect on the fractured bones’ healing process. These findings inform future studies, suggesting that it might be necessary to explore different electromagnetic technologies or intensities for possible improvements in bone regeneration.