Regulation of osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells by controlling electromagnetic field conditions

Researchers in Korea have determined the frequencies that optimize and inhibit bone healing using electromagnetic fields. For close to 40 years doctors have applied electromagnetic fields at the sites of bone fractures to accelerate healing, yet the mechanism by which this technique promotes bone growth remains elusive. Part of the uncertainty rests with the variability among experimental setups in common use, leading to widely uneven results. In an effort to standardize techniques, a team led by Young Hun Jeong from Korea Polytechnic University and Dong-Woo Cho from Pohang University of Science and Technology studied the effects of a wide range of electromagnetic field conditions on the bone-forming potential of adipose-derived stem cells. Among various exposures, they found that frequencies from 30 to 45 Hertz had positive effects on ossification, whereas 7.5 Hertz had an inhibitory effect.