Trial reportThe bone & joint journal2014
CT scan-evaluated outcome of pulsed electromagnetic fields in the treatment of acute scaphoid fractures: a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Trial report in The bone & joint journal, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Evaluation of the efficacy of physical agent modalities in patients with fractures: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields on bone fractures: a systematic review update.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Low intensity pulsed ultrasound for bone healing: systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2017Pooled it
- Efficacy of Electrical Stimulators for Bone Healing: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Sham-Controlled Trials.Scientific reports · 2016Pooled it
- Functional outcome and cost-effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic fields in the treatment of acute scaphoid fractures: a cost-utility analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2015Trial
- Use of Biophysical Stimulation Therapy in Surgically Treated Acute Scaphoid Fractures.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Pulsed electromagnetic field drives osteogenic and suppresses adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cellsBone reports · 2026Article
- Unveiling the Power of Magnetic-Driven Regenerative Medicine: Bone Regeneration and Functional Reconstruction.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Review
- Gathering Evidence to Leverage Musculoskeletal Magnetic Stimulation Towards Clinical Applicability.Small science · 2024Article
- Signalling pathways underlying pulsed electromagnetic fields in bone repair.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2024Review
- Review
- Electrical Stimulation of Acute Fractures: A Narrative Review of Stimulation Protocols and Device Specifications.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2022Review
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields in Bone Healing: Molecular Pathways and Clinical Applications.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- In vitro chondrogenic differentiation of human articular cartilage derived chondroprogenitors using pulsed electromagnetic field.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2021Article
- Topical cutaneous application of carbon dioxide via a hydrogel for improved fracture repair: results of phase I clinical safety trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Article
- Translational Insights into Extremely Low Frequency Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (ELF-PEMFs) for Bone Regeneration after Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery.Journal of clinical medicine · 2019Review
- Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy Improves Osseous Consolidation after High Tibial Osteotomy in Elderly Patients-A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2019Article
- [Advances in diagnosis and treatment of acute scaphoid fractures].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2019Review
- Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound for Nonoperative Treatment of Scaphoid Nonunions: A Meta-Analysis.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2018Article
- Coupling of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) therapy to molecular grounds of the cell.American journal of translational research · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
We hypothesised that the use of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) bone growth stimulation in acute scaphoid fractures would significantly shorten the time to union and reduce the number of nonunions in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre trial. A total of 102 patients (78 male, 24 female; mean age 35 years (18 to 77)) from five different medical centres with a unilateral undisplaced acute scaphoid fracture were randomly allocated to PEMF (n = 51) or placebo (n = 51) and assessed with regard to functional and radiological outcomes (multiplanar reconstructed CT scans) at 6, 9, 12, 24 and 52 weeks. The overall time to clinical and radiological healing did not differ significantly between the active PEMF group and the placebo group. We concluded that the addition of PEMF bone growth stimulation to the conservative treatment of acute scaphoid fractures does not accelerate bone healing.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.