I own a Model P9 and would like to ask for guidance before using it in a situation I have no experience with.
Case: My 8-year-old son (weight: 32 kg) injured his right foot on 23 July jumping into a ball pit. Radiographs (AP and oblique) at the treating hospital showed a fracture of the os cuboideum, right foot. Clinically there was local tenderness and a hematoma over the lateral midfoot. The ankle joint was pain-free with full range of motion, no compression tenderness, toe mobility preserved, neurovascular status intact. No displacement was noted.
Current treatment: Below-knee split cast, mobilization with forearm crutches, ibuprofen as needed. Clinical and radiographic follow-up is scheduled in about one week.
My questions:
1. Is there any reason not to apply ICES-PEMF over a foot with open growth plates and accessory ossification centers? Several PEMF manufacturers list “children in the growth phase” as a precaution, and I would like to understand whether that applies to ICES technology or is a generic liability statement.
2. If application is appropriate: which of the 30 protocol patterns would you suggest for early fracture healing, and which of the 15 intensity levels for a child of this age and size? My assumption is that adult settings are not simply transferable.
3. What session duration and daily frequency would you recommend?
4. Coil placement: internal coil worn against the cast, or external coils positioned laterally over the cuboid region? Does cast material meaningfully attenuate the field?
5. Would you advise waiting until the follow-up radiograph confirms the fracture and shows callus formation, or is early application preferable?
Any guidance — including “don’t do this” — would be appreciated.
Thank you.