Magneto-mechanical stimulation of bone growth in a bonded array of ferromagnetic fibres.

A brief experimental and theoretical study is presented into the elastic deformation of bonded arrays of ferromagnetic fibres, when subjected to an external magnetic field. Material made of such fibre arrays is of potential interest for certain biomedical applications, such as prosthetic implants. Externally imposed magnetic fields could be used to generate mechanical strains in surrounding tissue, with possible physiological benefits. It is shown that it should be possible to generate strains within embryonic bone cell networks, forming within such a fibre array, which are sufficient to stimulate enhanced growth. The effects outlined here could thus form the basis of surgical or therapeutic advances.