ReviewJournal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews2020
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Stimulation of Bone Healing and Joint Preservation: Cellular Mechanisms of Skeletal Response.
Review in Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
50 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 82 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 Sanqi Shengyu External Application Cream and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Knee Osteoarthritis in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026Trial
- Management of alveolar osteitis: new regenerative techniques in patients with type 2 diabetes.Oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2025Trial
- Effects of 12 weeks of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscles on the function and physio-biochemical traits in functionally fit female nursing-home residents aged 75 + years: a pilot study.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Trial
- From Static Scaffolds to Responsive Implants: 3D-Printed Field-Active Bioceramics for Adaptive Bone Regeneration.Advanced healthcare materials · 2026Review
- Review
- Advanced multifunctional thermo- and electro-stimulative hydrogels for bone regeneration.Materials today. Bio · 2026Review
- Alveolar Bone Regeneration: Smart Biomaterials and Physical Stimulation.Journal of biomedical materials research. Part B, Applied biomaterials · 2026Review
- Low-Intensity Electric Field Stimulation Modulates Proliferation, Stemness, and Chondrogenesis of Tonsil-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · 2026Article
- The Effect of Magnetotherapy on Back Pain Sensitivity and Muscle Tension in Recreational Horses-A Pilot Study.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- The Therapeutic Potential of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMF) and Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS) in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- The role of electrical stimulation in bone regeneration: mechanistic insights and therapeutic advances.Bioelectronic medicine · 2025Review
- Regulation of Inflammatory Responses by Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Conservative treatments of bone marrow lesions.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Advancing Neuroscience and Therapy: Insights into Genetic and Non-Genetic Neuromodulation Approaches.Cells · 2025Review
- Insights into bone and cartilage responses to pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation: a review with quantitative comparisons.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
- Application of a new coaxial bipolar electrode for the treatment of vertebral metastases: a pilot study in an ovine model.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- Unveiling the Power of Magnetic-Driven Regenerative Medicine: Bone Regeneration and Functional Reconstruction.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Review
- Augmentation of Deficient Bone Healing by Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields-From Mechanisms to Clinical Outcomes.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Role of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field on Alveolar Bone Remodeling during Orthodontic Retention Phase in Rat Models.Dentistry journal · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The US FDA has approved pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) as a safe and effective treatment for nonunions of bone. Despite its clinical use, the mechanisms of action of electromagnetic stimulation of the skeleton have been elusive. Recently, cell membrane receptors have been identified as the site of action of PEMF and provide a mechanistic rationale for clinical use. This review highlights key processes in cell responses to PEMF as follows: (1) signal transduction through A2A and A3 adenosine cell membrane receptors and (2) dose-response effects on the synthesis of structural and signaling extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Through these actions, PEMF can increase the structural integrity of bone and cartilage ECM, enhancing repair, and alter the homeostatic balance of signaling cytokines, producing anti-inflammatory effects. PEMFs exert a proanabolic effect on the bone and cartilage matrix and a chondroprotective effect counteracting the catabolic effects of inflammation in the joint environment. Understanding of PEMF membrane targets, and of the specific intracellular pathways involved, culminating in the synthesis of ECM proteins and reduction in inflammatory cytokines, should enhance confidence in the clinical use of PEMF and the identification of clinical conditions likely to be affected by PEMF exposure.
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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.