Volume 30, Issue 2, 2021
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.4045
Influence of low-Frequency High-Magnitude external stimulation on bone healing in a finite elements model
Abstract
Background: Local mechanical load may affect the long bone fracture heating outcome. But it remains unclear about how the application of external mechanical stimuli affects bone healing. The current study aimed to investigate effects of low-frequency and high magnitude mechanical stimulation on bone healing by finite elements models (FEMs), and trying to define the optimum magnitude and frequency combination improvement in the fracture healing process.
Methods: This study adopted the human tibia finite element model that had callus and a 1.5-mm fracture gap for simulating tissue differentiation in the normal process of fracture healing. Loads were applied at diverse magnitudes and frequencies. Simulation was carried out to predict the major fracture healing processes.
Results: The differentiation of bone callus from fibrous tissue to immature bone tissue was significantly increased with load magnitude from 100N to 300N, while frequency variables did not show a simple dose-response relationship. There existed a significant difference in mature bone tissue element number in loading stimulation with 1Hz and 200N compared with combined loading frequency and magnitude.
Conclusions: Low frequency and high magnitude mechanical stimulus directly affected fracture callus tissue differentiation during bone healing, which provided bases for exploring fracture healing mechanism for fractured bone healing assessment.
Keywords
Fracture healing; Finite Element models; Tissue differentiation; Mechanical load