EFFECT OF ELECTROMAGNETIC STIMULATION WITH DIFFERENT WAVE-FORMS ON CULTURED CHICK TENDON FIBROBLASTS

An energy efficient electromagnetic stimulator device for fracture hea ling was compared to a commercially available device in stimulating ce ll growth in tissue cultures. The energy efficient device, which conse rves energy by using a bidirectional time-dependent magnetic wave form , and the commercially available stimulator, which uses a unidirection al time-dependent magnetic wave form, were tested on chick tendon fibr oblasts in primary culture. Comparing non-stimulated control and cells electromagnetically stimulated with unidirectional and bidirectional waveforms showed that at the growth phase between days 2 and 3, both e lectrical stimulation techniques increased cell division as measured b y DNA synthesis. When cells were dividing rapidly, collagen synthesis was reduced. When the cells reached the confluence there was no differ ence among the groups (control, unidirectionally stimulated, and bidir ectionally stimulated) in terms of number of cells or collagen produce d. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss. Inc.