METHOD AND DEVICE FOR TREATING OSTEOARTHRITIS, CARTILAGE DISEASE, DEFECTS AND INJURIES IN THE HUMAN KNEE

摘要

A method of determining the voltage and current output required for theapplication of specific and selective electric and electromagnetic signals todiseased articular cartilage in the treatment of osteoarthritis, cartilagedefects due to trauma or sports injury, or used as an adjunct with othertherapies (cell transplantation, tissueengineered scaffolds, growth factors,etc.) for treating cartilage defects in the human knee joint and a device fordelivering such signals to a patient's knee. An analytical model of the humanknee is developed whereby the total tissue volume in the human knee may bedetermined for comparison to the total tissue volume of the diseased tissue inthe animal model using electric field and current density histograms. Thevoltage and current output used in the animal model is scaled based on theratio of the total tissue volume of the diseased tissue of the human to thetotal tissue volume of the diseased tissue in the animal model and theresulting field is applied to the diseased tissue of the human using at leasttwo electrodes applied to the knee or a coil or solenoid placed around theknee. The voltage of the signal applied to the electrodes, coil or solenoid isvaried based on the size of the knee joint; larger knee joints require largervoltages to generate the effective electric field.