Bone Healing (Delayed & Nonunion)
PEMF for Fracture Healing: Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis
Grade A-Systematic review and meta-analysis2020
What did this study find?
This 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 22 studies covering 1,468 participants treated with pulsed electromagnetic fields for fracture healing. Across the pooled data, treatment was associated with improved union rates and pain outcomes. The effect was concentrated in delayed union and nonunion fractures rather than in fresh, acute breaks.
What are the details of this record?
- Full citation
- PEMF for Fracture Healing: Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis. 2020. PMID: 32495506.
- Study design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Sample size and population
- 1,468 participants across 22 studies
- Evidence grade
- Grade A- on the BioReg grading scale
- Reported findings
- Healing rate 79.7% with PEMF vs 64.3% control, RR 1.22. Evidence for increased healing rate rated moderate quality.
- PubMed
- PMID 32495506
- Related categories
- Bone Healing (Delayed & Nonunion) (category grade B+)
A positive PEMF study is not evidence for a specific device unless the signal parameters studied, frequency, intensity, waveform, and exposure duration, are reasonably comparable to what that device produces. Where this record does not list those parameters, the source report did not publish them. See the grading methodology. Library last reviewed 2026-08-27.