Current density in a model of a human body with a conductive implant exposed to ELF electric and magnetic fields

A numerical model of a human body with an intramedullary nail in the femur was built to evaluate the effects of the implant on the current density distribution in extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields. The intramedullary nail was chosen because it is one of the longest high conductive implants used in the human body. As such it is expected to alter the electric and magnetic fields significantly. The exposure was a simultaneous combination of inferior to superior electric field and posterior to anterior magnetic field both alternating at 50 Hz with the values corresponding to the ICNIRP reference levels: 5000 V m^?1 for electric field and 100 µT for magnetic flux density. The calculated current density distribution inside the model was compared to the ICNIRP basic restrictions for general public (2 mA m^?2). The results show that the implant significantly increases the current density up to 9.5 mA m^?2 in the region where it is in contact with soft tissue in the model with the implant in comparison to 0.9 mA m^?2 in the model without the implant. As demonstrated the ICNIRP basic restrictions are exceeded in a limited volume of the tissue in spite of the compliance with the ICNIRP reference levels for general public, meaning that the existing safety limits do not necessarily protect implanted persons to the same extent as they protect people without implants. Bioelectromagnetics 30:591–599, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.