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Plateau frostbite (PF) treatments have remained a clinical challenge because this condition injures tissues in deep layers and affected tissues exhibit unique pathological characteristics. For instance, low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) can affect tissue restoration and penetrate tissues. Therefore, the effect of PEMF on PF healing should be investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low-frequency PEMF on PF healing systematically. Ninety-six Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into three groups: normal control, partial thickness plateau frostbite (PTPF), and PTPF with low-frequency PEMF exposure (PTPF + PEMF). PTPF wounds were induced in the dorsum of the rats. The PTPF + PEMF group was exposed to low-frequency PEMF daily. During PF healing, wound microcirculation in each group was monitored through contrast ultrasonography. Wound appearance, histological observation, and wound tensile strength were also evaluated. Results showed that the rate of the microcirculation restoration of the PTPF + PEMF group was nearly 25% faster than that of the PTPF group, and wound appearance suggested that the healing of the PTPF group was slower than that of the PTPF + PEMF group. Histological observation revealed that PEMF accelerated the growth of different deep tissues, as confirmed by tensile strength examination. Low-frequency PEMF could penetrate PF tissues, promote their restoration, and provide a beneficial effect on PF healing. Therefore, this technique may be a potential alternative to treat PF., (© 2016 by the Wound Healing Society.)

Objectives: Pathophysiologic changes of frostbite have been postulated but rarely understood, especially the changes caused by chilly high altitude environment. Therefore, we investigated the pathophysiologic changes of high altitude frostbite (HAF) caused by cold and hypoxia., Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups, namely, control, superficial HAF (S-HAF), partial-thickness HAF (PT-HAF), full-thickness HAF (FT-HAF), and partial-thickness normal frostbite (PT-NF) groups. The S-HAF, PT-HAF, and FT-HAF groups were fed under hypobaric hypoxic conditions simulating an altitude of 5000 m. Then, the PT-NF, S-HAF, PT-HAF, and FT-HAF models were constructed by controlling the duration of the direct freezing by liquid nitrogen. Animal vital signs were measured after the operation, and histopathologic changes were observed after routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. In addition, the microcirculation of frostbite tissues was monitored and compared by contrast ultrasonography during wound healing., Results: The S-HAF, PT-HAF, and FT-HAF groups showed significant differences in the microcirculatory and histopathologic changes in the various tissue layers (P < .05). In addition, combined cold and hypoxia caused more damage to frostbite tissue than pure cold. The circulation recovery of HAF models was significantly slower relative to NF models (P < .05)., Conclusions: A safe and reproducible HAF model was proposed. More important, pathophysiologic determination of HAF provided the foundation and potential for developing novel and effective frostbite therapies., (Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)