Biophysical therapy using the pulsating electromagnetic field as adjunctive therapy for implant osseointegration – A review

Development of procedures which accelerate osseointegration of dental implants, reduce the period of healing, and lead to an early rehabilitation of the patient are required for successful oral rehabilitation. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) is a noninvasive, therapeutic form of low field magnetic stimulation that has been used for healing bone non unions and various fractures. It acts on osteoblasts and bone, affecting their metabolism, therefore, increasing the tissue integration of the implanted devices and their clinical success. A broad range of settings that includes magnetic field intensity, frequency and duration of application, etc. used for PEMFs stimulation is a hurdle to properly define treatment protocols and extensive research is needed to overcome this issue. The present review includes studies that investigated the effects of PEMFs on the response of bone cells to different classes of biomaterials and the reports that focused on in vivo and in vitro investigations of biomaterials implanted in bone. This study is expected to serve as a guide for researchers and clinicians to bring into their clinical use these strategies to improve implant osseointegration in deficient and osteoporotic bone.