Dysfunction of human articular cartilage due to wear, trauma, or disease, is becoming an increasing source of pain, disability, and healthcare expenditures. None of the presently available treatments offers an adequate long term solution to this problem. Electromagnetic (EM) fields have been successfully used to stimulate healing of recalcitrant bone fractures and to promote healing of spinal fusions. Cartilage has an electrogenerative property similar to bone's and thus the external application of electromagnetic fields to study stimulated cartilage tissue repair is justified. The objective of this study is to establish a frequency dose-biological response database for an established ex vivo cartilage tissue model. Sinusoidal waveforms having frequencies of 15.3, 25.5 and 76.5 hertz will be applied in two groups; group one uses ambient static magnetic fields while group two uses a controlled static magnetic field (0.200 gauss) which satisfies the resonance conditions for Ca+2 (15.3Hz), Mg+2 (25.5 Hz) and combined Ca+2 and Mg+2 (76.6 Hz). The response will be quantified by liquid scintillation counting of incorporated radiolabelled thymidine, sulphur, and hydroxproline to measure synthesis of DNA, proteoglycans, and collagen. This study will contribute to the data base of low frequency EM stimulation, test the cyclotron resonance theory in this model, and may provide the basis for a human clinical study.
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