Effects of electrical physical stimuli on articular cartilage

Review about the physical stimulation of articular cartilage, no abstract is present. The use of physical stimuli has been the subject of several studies aimed at understanding the mechanism through which they are able to control inflammation and stimulate articular cartilage anabolic activities. Pulsed electromagnetic fields, which have been investigated for years by our group, can be easily applied to single joints without systemic effect. Their use is not indicated for the treatment of joint inflammation associated with systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In joints, especially the knee, pulsed electromagnetic fields, unlike drugs, have the ability to completely and homogeneously permeate the whole articular cartilage and the underlying subchondral bone. Their use is aimed at controlling inflammation, stimulating the anabolic activity of the chondrocytes, and preventing cartilage degeneration, ultimately resulting in a chondroprotective activity. The treatment should lead to improvement in the overall articular function of the patient. Present clinical use of pulsed electromagnetic fields as a chondroprotector is based on preclinical and clinical research studies conducted by the CRES (Cartilage Repair and Electrical Stimulation) study group over the past seven years.