Michelle's Remarkable Recovery: Triple Humerus Fracture Healed in Just 3 Months with EMTT
a complex injury with a poor prognosis
The surgical consultant was frank about her prospects. Surgery wasn’t recommended as there was concern her “whole shoulder would just fall apart” during the procedure with “nothing really to bolt anything to.” The prognosis with conservative treatment wasn’t much better:
- 6-12 months recovery time
- Permanent limitation of movement (likely never lifting above waist or bust height again)
- High risk of avascular necrosis
- Possible need for shoulder replacement within months
“They told me my arm wouldn’t function the same way ever again,” Michelle explained during our interview.
a chance encounter changes everything
Just weeks after her injury, a fortuitous meeting occurred. While out walking—one of the few activities she could manage—Michelle bumped into Dawn from Cornwall Physio, who immediately recommended our clinic’s new EMTT (Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy) treatment.
Michelle began EMTT treatment at Cornwall Physio approximately four weeks post-injury. The timing couldn’t have been better, as the body’s healing response was just beginning, and EMTT could enhance and accelerate the natural healing process.
the science behind EMTT's Bone-Healing Power
Recent groundbreaking research published in 2024 in the journal Biomedicines shows exactly how EMTT accelerates bone healing at the cellular level. Unlike traditional PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy, EMTT delivers significantly higher magnetic field strengths (up to 80mT) and oscillation frequencies (100-300 kHz), creating powerful biological effects.
The study demonstrated that EMTT stimulation:
- Significantly upregulates key osteoblastogenesis regulators (SP7 and RUNX2) by up to sevenfold (activates the master control genes that tell your body to make new bone cells, making this process up to 7 times more efficient)
- Enhances expression of critical bone-related genes including COL1A1, ALPL, and BGLAP (increases production of essential proteins needed for strong bone formation)
- Increases collagen synthesis and matrix mineralisation (helps create more of the flexible framework and hard mineral deposits that give bone its strength)
- Stimulates calcium influx into bone-forming cells (delivers more calcium—the building block of bone—directly where it’s needed)
- Accelerates all phases of bone formation from early cellular differentiation to final mineralisation (speeds up the entire bone healing process from start to finish)
Most importantly, this research confirmed that EMTT doesn’t just speed up healing—it enhances the quality of bone formation without compromising cell viability. This explains why patients like Michelle experience such dramatic improvements in recovery time and functional outcomes.
The EMTT Treatment journey
Michelle underwent a series of eight EMTT treatments at Cornwall Physio. The first six sessions occurred before her follow-up hospital appointment, with two additional sessions afterward.
EMTT works by delivering high-energy magnetic pulses deep into tissue, stimulating cellular repair mechanisms and enhancing blood flow to injured areas. For complex fractures like Michelle’s, this meant potentially faster callus formation and reduced risk of complications like avascular necrosis.
Remarkable results that surprised medical professionals
The results were nothing short of extraordinary:
- At her first follow-up X-ray (after six EMTT sessions), callus formation had already begun
- By her second follow-up at approximately 10 weeks post-injury, healing had progressed so well that she was discharged with a six-month open appointment
- The feared avascular necrosis had not developed, with her consultant noting the shoulder was “neurovascularly intact”
- Michelle began driving and swimming again by early April—less than 3 months after her injury
- She returned to work on a phased basis just over 3 months post-injury
“I didn’t think I was going to be back to work until September at the earliest. That’s what they told me,” Michelle shared. Instead, she was back in the classroom by mid-April.
Her consultant was astonished by her progress. When Michelle explained about the EMTT treatment and provided information, he acknowledged she had clearly done something extraordinary and beyond the usual NHS care.
“He was really surprised,” Michelle told us. “I gave him a leaflet about EMTT and showed him what I’d done. I was quite fixated on the risk of avascular necrosis, but he said ‘No, it’s looking well, it’s neurovascularly intact now. Go away, forget about that.'”
life after treatment
Today, Michelle has already regained most of her shoulder function—something that seemed impossible based on her initial prognosis. While she still experiences some minor movement limitations and occasional discomfort, her daily function has returned to near-normal levels.
“Apart from just some minor movement restrictions, no one would know there’s anything wrong with me at the moment,” Michelle explained. She’s now swimming again, driving, and looking forward to potentially returning to horse riding—activities that seemed out of reach just months earlier. We’re actively working with Michelle’s shoulder from a rehab perspective now, making sure she gets back her full strength and function.
why this case matters
In my 20 years as a physiotherapist, I’ve treated numerous humerus fractures, and I’ve never witnessed healing this rapid, especially with such a complex fracture pattern. Typically, these injuries take 9-12 months for functional recovery, with many patients never regaining full range of motion.
Michelle’s case demonstrates the potential of EMTT to revolutionise recovery times for complex fractures. While individual results will vary, the dramatic acceleration of healing in this case suggests EMTT could be life changing for patients with similar injuries.
could EMTT help you?
If you’re dealing with a fracture, delayed healing, or other musculoskeletal problems including Sports Injuries or Arthritis, EMTT at Cornwall Physio might offer a solution that traditional treatments cannot. As Michelle’s case shows, even with the most complex injuries and poorest prognoses, remarkable outcomes are possible.
“I don’t think I would have recovered. I wouldn’t be sat here now if I hadn’t have come,” Michelle reflected. “I really don’t think I would have.”
Contact Cornwall Physio today to learn more about how EMTT might help accelerate your recovery and get you back to the activities you love sooner than you thought possible.
About EMTT
Extracorporeal Magnetotransduction Therapy (EMTT) is an advanced, non-invasive treatment that uses high-energy magnetic pulses to stimulate cellular repair mechanisms. Cornwall Physio is proud to be among the first clinics in the UK to offer this cutting-edge technology for fracture healing, tendon injuries, and other musculoskeletal conditions.
About the Author
Lou Nicholettos is a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist with over 20 years of clinical experience. With dual Master’s degrees and extensive postgraduate training, Lou is committed to bringing cutting-edge treatments to Cornwall Physio. Lou and her team combine evidence-based practice with innovative technologies like EMTT to achieve exceptional patient outcomes.
