Do Capacitively Coupled Electric Fields Accelerate Tibial Stress Fracture Healing? A Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundTibial stress fractures increasingly affect athletes and military recruits, with few known effective management options. Electrical stimulation enhances regular fracture healing, but the effect on stress fractures has not been definitively tested.HypothesisCapacitively coupled electric field stimulation will accelerate tibial stress fracture healing.Study DesignRandomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.MethodsTwenty men and 24 women with acute posteromedial tibial stress fractures were referred from local clinicians. Subjects were randomly assigned active or placebo capacitively coupled electric field stimulation to be applied for 15 hours per day until healed, given supplemental calcium, and instructed to rest from provocative training. Healing was confirmed when hopping to 10 cm for 30 seconds could be achieved without pain.ResultsNo difference in time to healing was detected between treatment and placebo groups. Women in the treatment group healed more slowly than did the men (P = .05...