HyeJin Suh

Abstract

Chronic wounds have been an enormous burden on the healthcare system due to their prevalence and the lack of efficacy of current treatment modalities. Over the years, electrical stimulation (ES) has been widely used in the treatment of wounds. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this treatment is under scrutiny, since many studies have failed to report successive and/or consistent effects of ES on wound healing. This inconsistency may be due to the uneven current produced by the conventional 2-electrode delivery system (2-channel ES) and the reduced resting blood flow resulting from thermally cool treatment rooms. In this study, a new approach was taken by developing a 3-electrode delivery system (3-channel ES). This system was then tested on seven healthy subjects and compared to the 2-channel ES for current dispersion on the skin surface and in the muscle. Additional parameters such as electrode size and electrode distance were also examined to aid in determination of optimal current dispersion. The second phase of the study, then, attempted to determine efficacy of the 3-channel ES system in combination with local heat for wound healing. Eighteen subjects with nonhealing chronic wounds participated. ES was delivered with biphasic sine wave stimulation at a frequency of 30 Hz, pulse width of 100-250 microseconds, at a current of 15-30 mA. Blood flow, current, and wound size were measured with a Laser Doppler Imager, Biopac system, and a metric ruler and a calibrated cotton swab, respectively.

Results indicated that the 3-channel ES produced significantly greater and deeper current dispersion regardless of electrode size and distance between the electrodes in subjects with no wounds. In subjects with wounds, ES combined with local heat significantly reduced wound volume by 57% in wounds, which prior to our treatment showed no healing. It appears that the application of 3-channel ES in combination with local heat is an effective way to enhance chronic wound healing. Future studies should examine a larger population with various variables such as treatment duration, number of days, or length of treatment to optimize the effect of ES on healing of chronic wounds.

LLU Discipline

Physical Therapy

Department

Physical Therapy

School

Graduate Studies

First Advisor

Jerrold Petrofsky

Second Advisor

Michael Laymon

Third Advisor

Scott Lee

Fourth Advisor

Everett Lohman

Fifth Advisor

Ernest Schwab

Sixth Advisor

Grenith Zimmerman

Degree Name

Doctor of Science (DSc)

Degree Level

D.Sc.

Year Degree Awarded

2008

Date (Title Page)

9-2008

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Wound Healing -- physiology; Wounds and Injuries -- therapy; Electric Stimulation Therapy -- methods

Type

Dissertation

Page Count

xiii; 86

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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