EFFECT OF PULSED ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD ON THE CONSOLIDATION OF POSTEROLATERAL ARTHRODESES IN THE LUMBOSACRAL SPINE: A PROSPECTIVE, DOUBLE-BLIND, RANDOMIZED STUDY

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the effect of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) on the consolidation of instrumented lumbar posterolateral arthrodeses in patients who have been surgically treated for degenerative spine disease. Methods: Forty cases were recruited from 163 consecutive patients undergoing lumbar arthrodesis at the same center. The patients were randomized into two groups of 20 patients: Active Group, who were exposed to PEMF for 4 hours a day for 90 days after surgery, and Inactive Group, who received an identical device, with the same instructions for use but without the ability to generate PEMF. The patients underwent computed tomography scans at 45, 90, 180 and 360 days after surgery to check for the occurrence of arthrodesis at each operated spinal level. Results: In the course of the study, two patients were excluded from each group. There were no significant differences between the groups with respect to age, gender, smoking habit, or the number of vertebral levels included in the arthrodesis. The percentage of consolidation of the vertebral levels increased at 90, 180 and 360 days compared to 45 days (p摘要 目的：评估脉冲电磁场（PEMF）对因退行性脊柱疾病接受手术治疗的患者内固定腰椎后外侧融合术融合效果的影响。方法：本研究从同一中心连续163例行腰椎融合术的患者中纳入40例受试者。将患者随机分为两组，每组各20例：实验组（Active Group）患者于术后每日接受4小时脉冲电磁场治疗，持续90天；对照组（Inactive Group）患者使用同款设备，遵循相同使用指导，但设备无法产生脉冲电磁场。所有患者分别于术后45天、90天、180天及360天行计算机断层扫描，以检查各手术脊柱节段的融合发生情况。结果：研究过程中，两组各有2例患者被排除。两组患者在年龄、性别、吸烟习惯及融合术累及的椎骨节段数量方面均无显著差异。相较于术后45天，术后90天、180天及360天的椎骨节段融合率均有所升高（p