[Bone healing and dynamic interferential current (DIC) (author's transl)]. / Knochenheilung und dynamischer Interferenzstrom (DIC)--Erste vergleichende tierexperimentelle Studie an Schafen. Teil I: Experimentelles Vorgehen und histologische Ergebnisse.

The aim of this investigation was to clarify the influence of dynamic interferential current (DIC). Two sinusoidal currents of medium frequency are superimposed within the body to determine the reactive changes of bone healing after osteotomy. An osteotomy was performed on the radius and ulna of the right foreleg of 34 'black-head breeding sheep'. The radius shaft was deperiostalized and unstably fixed with a four-hole AO-plate leaving a gap of at least 1 mm width. DIC of different mA-values were not treated 24 sheep 3 times per week for 10 mins. The other 10 animals were not treated with DIC but used as control animals. The different results of our clinical, radiological, histological and chemical analyses to date indicate that callus formation is accelerated by the application of DIC. The fracture callus of treated animals is strongly mineralized.

[Bone healing and dynamic interferential current (DIC) (author's transl)]. / Knochenheilung und dynamischer Interferenzstrom (DIC).-Erste vergleichende tierexperimentelle Studie an Schafen. Teil II: Physikalische und chemische Ergebnisse.

In the course of supplementary physical and chemical investigations of the influence of Dynamic Interferential Current (DIC) on bone healing 24 black-head sheep were subjected to transversal osteotomy of the radius. After an instable osteosynthesis the site was exposed to repeated therapy with DIC of varying mA intensity. (Methodological details are described in part I). DIC therapy resulted in altering the temperatures in the treated tissue, dependent on the mA intensity. Further associations were verified between DIC intensity and the occurrence of hydroxyprolin, and amino acid specific collagen, which also reflected increased calcifying activity. Measurement of the calcium and phosphorus levels in the regenerated (newly forming) bone tissue documented full mineralization in the DIC-treated animals at a much earlier date than in the untreated controls that had undergone similar operations. Whether DIC specifically stimulates osteogenesis within "healing" bones is still unclear.

Characteristic molar ratios of magnesium, carbon dioxide, calcium and phosphorus in the mineralizing fracture callus and predentine.

From fracture callus in different stages of mineralization the contents of Mg, CO2, Ca and P were determined and compared with those found in predentine. It was found that the Mg- and CO2-contents are high in relation to Ca and P values during the prestages and early stages of mineralization. These relatively high Mg- and CO2-values are connected with high Mg/Ca, Mg/P, CO2/Ca and CO2/P ratios which strongly decrease with the increasing degree of mineralization. These results seem to be part of a general controlling mechanism of the calcification.