Numeric Simulation of a Therapeutic Processing: Electrostimulation of Bone Rebuilding

Purpose - A complete analysis for illustrating the various factors responsible for electrical stimulation can provide insight about some interaction effects relationship. The paper aims to evaluate the electric field and current density distributions inside the various tissues of two simplified models of arm and spine, when a external electric signal is applied using external electrodes in contact with the skin. Design/methodology/approach - Electrical stimulation is a widely used clinical method in which fracture non-unions are treated with low-level electric fields and currents in order to stimulate fracture repair. The physical methods for bone growth stimulation discussed in this paper is referred to technique with capacitively coupled electric fields (CCEF) at the fracture site. Findings - A series of experiments demonstrated that bone is piezoelectric, electro stimulation is often used to promote and expedite healing. The results of numeric simulation improve the understanding of healing mechanism and bone rebuilding. Originality/value - Electric and magnetic fields can influence biological functions. The algorithm should be useful in calculating the response of biological materials subject to excitation including modelling and electrical stimulation.