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Health

What is a Bone Healing System?

By C.B. Fox
Updated May 17, 2024
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A bone healing system is an electronic device that is used to speed the repair of bone tissue. These devices can use electricity or ultrasonic waves to stimulate the cells in bone tissue. Used alongside other medical treatments, a bone healing system can significantly decrease the amount of time it takes for bone to heal. The use of this technology can increase a patient's chances for a complete recovery with no lingering pain or loss of mobility.

Electrical or ultrasonic stimulation has been shown to cut healing time by as much as 50%. When bone cells are exposed to electricity or ultrasound, the activity of these cells increases, causing them to divide more rapidly. The increased number of cells fills in the damaged portions of bone and allows the injury to heal.

There are a number of different electronic devices used to promote bone healing. One common type of bone healing system uses ultrasound. Patients can be treated with a large ultrasound device in a doctor's office or can purchase a portable ultrasound to use at home. These devices project high pitched sounds onto the affected area. They have been successfully used to treat new fractures as well as older injuries that have not responded to traditional treatment.

Another type of bone healing system is a capacitive coupler. This device is worn over a broken bone for an extended period of time. It uses a low voltage current to stimulate bone cells and to attract more calcium to the damaged area.

A pulsed electromagnetic field can also be used as a bone healing system. This device is commonly placed within a cast, or if a patient is not wearing a cast, on the skin. Electrical current is sent though the device at the same level as the current that naturally occurs within a person's body. The current creates an electromagnetic field around the injured area that promotes healing without causing any discomfort or side effects for the patient.

For severe injuries, a surgically implanted direct current bone healing system can be used. A doctor implants the device directly onto the damaged section of bone. A small amount of electrical current, which promotes healing, is passed through the device. Removing a direct-current bone healing system can be done through a simple surgery under a local anesthetic.

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