Electrical behaviour of the rat's tibia during growth and fracture healing.

The electrical behaviour of the exposed tibial surface of young rats has been studied in normal conditions, after fracture and during the repair process. Recordings of potentials were made after all the electrical artefacts (muscle injury potentials) had been neutralized. No significant potential difference was obtained on the exposed bony surface in all the specimens. The results suggest that the currents of the hypothetical "bone-generator" do not reach the tibial surface. The bioelectrical properties of bone cannot therefore be investigated by an external recording method.