Electrical stimulation to promote osseointegration of bone anchoring implants: a topical review.
Emily Pettersen, Jenna Anderson, Max Ortiz-Catalan
PMID 35313892WHAT IT FOUND
Electrical stimulation to speed bone healing around implants has only been tested in animals and cells.
Results are inconsistent, with some doses causing cell death. There is no human evidence yet to support using this in clinical practice.
Key findings
01In vivo research on electrical stimulation for osseointegration has been exclusively conducted in animal models and not yet reported on human subjects.
02In vitro studies showed that while some electrical parameters promoted cell growth, others caused significant cell death and morphological changes depending on voltage and duration.
03Animal studies yielded mixed results, with some showing increased bone contact and others showing no significant improvement in bone-implant integration compared to controls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
No human trials were included; all evidence is from animal models or cell cultures. Study designs varied widely in animal species, implant materials, and stimulation parameters, making direct comparison difficult. Many studies failed to report the rationale behind their chosen stimulation parameters. In vitro models cannot account for bone remodelling, immune responses, or mechanical loading present in living patients.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Stiftelsen Promobilia, IngaBritt och Arne Lundbergs Forskningsstiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, VINNOVA, European Commission, and Chalmers University of Technology.
The easy way to misread this
Do not attempt to apply electrical stimulation protocols to patients based on this review. The evidence is limited to animal and cell models, and parameters that helped in animals have been shown to cause cell death in other contexts.