Electrical stimulation effects on cutaneous wound healing in rabbits. A follow-up study.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high voltage monophasic pulsed electrical stimulation on wound healing using positive polarity. Forty-four rabbits were assigned to experimental or control groups and followed for four or seven days. We classified the groups as Exp4, Con4, Exp7, and Con7, respectively. Each animal was anesthetized, and a full-thickness incision, 3.5-cm long, was made on its back. After 24 hours, the Exp4 and Exp7 rabbits received high voltage electrical stimulation for two hours twice daily. Wound closure for the Exp4 rabbits (50%) was significantly less than that of the Con4 rabbits (78%). After seven days, however, the Exp7 and Con7 rabbits had similar wound-closure values (80% and 82%, respectively). Tensile-strength values for the control and experimental animals were comparable at both time periods. Histologic examination of the wounds suggested a more rapid rate of epithelization between the Exp4 and Exp7 rabbits compared with the Con4 and Con7 rabbits. The results of this study are inconclusive, but may indicate that positive-polarity stimulation enhanced wound closure between four and seven days of treatment.