SAR-Based Thermal Assessment of Dielectrophoretic Pulsed Electromagnetic Stimulation in Tibia Fractures with Metallic Implants


Ertugrul A. D., Kibritoglu E., Anil S., YÜKSEL H. M.

Bioengineering, cilt.13, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 13 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.3390/bioengineering13030364
  • Dergi Adı: Bioengineering
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: dielectrophoretic force, pulsed electromagnetic fields, orthopedic implants, specific absorption rate, implanted tibia fracture, electromagnetic heating, thermal safety, bioheat modeling
  • Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Electromagnetic field-based stimulation has emerged as a promising noninvasive approach for enhancing bone fracture healing. Beyond conventional pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapies employing spatially uniform fields, dielectrophoretic-force-based (DEPF) stimulation exploits electromagnetic field non-uniformities to induce localized interactions to enhance fracture healing. However, the thermal behavior associated with DEPF-driven PEMF exposure in the presence of metallic orthopedic implants remains largely unexplored. In this study, the thermal response of tissue-like tibia phantoms with and without metallic implants is investigated using an integrated experimental and numerical framework. A custom-designed conical coil is employed to generate non-uniform DEPF excitation capable of affecting the fracture site. Surface temperature evolution is measured using infrared thermal imaging, while electromagnetic power absorption is quantified through specific absorption rate (SAR)-based thermal measurement coupled with a bio-heat formulation. Anatomically realistic tibia phantoms reconstructed from computed tomography data are fabricated via a 3D printer to represent clinically relevant fracture configurations. Experimental results show that the metallic implant exhibits a rapid temperature increase of approximately (Formula presented.) within the first few minutes of exposure, followed by thermal stabilization, corresponding to an effective absorbed power of (Formula presented.) inferred from the initial temperature slope. In contrast, the non-conductive resin phantom displays a temperature rise of only (Formula presented.) over the same interval, yielding (Formula presented.). These findings demonstrate that implant-related eddy-current losses dominate localized heating under DEPF excitation, while tissue-like media remain weakly affected. This work provides SAR-based experimental evaluation of DEPF stimulation in implanted tibia fracture models, offering new insight into implant-induced electromagnetic heating and its implications for the safety and optimization of DEPF-based bone-healing therapies.