Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Living Tissue: Effect of Minute Electrical Charge on the Bone marrow

Abstract

Two 0.5 mm∅×5 mm platinum electrodes were inserted into the femoral bone marrow of the rabbits and galvanized for 14 days with a constant current of 20 μA and a current of varying voltage 2.0-2.2 V. The results were as follows. The application of 20 μA induced necrosis, degeneration, as well as gas generation in the tissue surrounding the anode in the bone marrow. And the osteocortex near the anode was hypertrophic. The stimulation of 2.0-2.2 V proliferated callus around the cortex holes bored for the anode and cathode.
Thus electrical stimulation accelated osteogenesis mainly in the injured area of the periosteum and the bone marrow. In addition, the ostegenesis was faster at the periosteum than the bone marrow, and at the cathode than the anode.