Bone Growth Stimulation

What I Need to Know First

Electrical stimulation has achieved positive results in overcoming the challenges of bone graft fusion in the lumbar spine. The use of low-energy, time-varying magnetic fields (commonly referred to as Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields or PEMF) has been shown to be successful when treatment occurs at the time of surgery, with fresh fusions.

In many cases, your surgeon will prescribe a Spinal-Stim® bone growth stimulator to help your bones fuse. Spinal-Stim is a medical device which is worn around your back and abdomen for a minimum of two hours a day. It is designed for a comfortable and flexible fit. Spinal-Stim uses a safe, low-strength electromagnetic signal to activate the body’s natural healing process. When Spinal-Stim treatment is used immediately following surgery, it has been proven that fusion success can be increased when compared to surgery without the use of Spinal-Stim.

Spinal-Stim is also indicated as a non-operative treatment for salvage of failed spinal fusion, minimum nine months post-operative. Orthofix has the highest success rates in bone growth stimulation for spine fusions and non-operative salvage.

The Spinal-Stim Device

The Spinal-Stim Bone Growth Stimulator is an external, low-level PEMF device and has been designed with patient comfort and convenience in mind. It is a single-piece device that is lightweight, flexible and portable, allowing freedom of movement during treatment. A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and audible alarm provide important feedback to the patient during treatment such as operational status, treatment time remaining, battery capacity, etc.

The Spinal-Stim is comprised of a control unit and treatment transducer. The control unit contains a micro-processor that generates the Spinal-Stim electrical signal. That signal is converted to a highly uniform, low-energy magnetic field by the treatment transducer. When the device is centered over the treatment area, the therapeutic Spinal-Stim PEMF signal is delivered directly to the treatment site.