Last update:
29-Sep-2025

OBJECTIVE To assess the role of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on spinal fusion and tibial fracture using meta-analysis approach.

METHOD A meta-analysis study during July and August 2024 was performed. The study search strategy was performed in Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. To assess the quality of the articles, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Modified Jadad Scale were used. Data from the study were presented as counts and percentages (n [%]). We evaluated publication bias using Egger's test and a funnel plot. Heterogeneity of the data was assessed using the I² statistic. The primary results of the study were analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel test, presented with odds ratio (OR) and a 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS Nineteen articles were included in this study, consisting of 13 articles on the impact of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on spinal fusion and 6 articles on the impact of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on tibial fractures. Our results revealed that the use of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation significantly enhanced spinal fusion healing. In contrast, no significant improvement was observed regarding the use of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation in tibial fracture healing. In the subgroup analysis by article quality, our study found that moderate-quality articles showed an impact of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation on spinal fusion and tibial fracture healing, while high-quality articles did not.

CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that the use of pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation has a crucial impact on spinal fusion and tibial fracture healing.

Key words: Bone, Pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation, Spinal fusion, Tibial fracture.