Affiliations: [a] Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation “Dr. Miroslav Zotović”, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina | [b] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina | [c] Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia | [d] Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Tamara Popović, Save Kovačević 32, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. E-mail: tamara.popovic@med.unibl.org.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) seem effective in increasing bone mineral density and promoting osteogenesis and bone healing. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of two different modalities of PEMFs therapy in comparison with the recommended pharmacological treatment on experimental osteoporosis in rats. METHODS: The experimental model of estrogen-deficient osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy was used in this study. The animals were exposed to PEMFs of various frequencies (40 Hz and 25 Hzk), intensities (10 mT and 36.4 μT), lengths of exposure, and the effects were compared with the standard treatment with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation. RESULTS: The application of PEMF40Hz, significantly reduced the osteoporotic bone loss in female rats that were confirmed with biochemical, biomechanical, and histological analyses. These effects were more pronounced than in osteoporotic animals treated with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation. On the contrary, the exposure to PEMF25Hz did not show restorative effects but led to further progression of osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The exposure to PEMF40Hz, significantly restored osteoporosis and attenuated bone fragility in comparison to the rats exposed to PEMF25Hz or those treated with pamidronate, vitamin D, and calcium supplementation.
