8. The Effect of Electric Current on Rat Tail Collagen in Solution. A.A. Marino & R.O. Becker. Calc. Tiss. Res. 4: 330-338, 1970.

The effect of electric current on dilute acetic acid solutions of soluble collagen has been studied for impressed voltages of from 0 to 25 volts. Above 2.6 volts the formation of collagen bands (herein defined) were observed at times inversely proportional to the applied voltage. Band formation is attributed to the process of electrolysis. It has been shown that the high pH values are generated in the area of the cathode, and that they are sufficient to induce collagen to precipitate. The nature of the process is such that it cannot occur in vivo as a response to stress induced bipotentials. Reports in the literature describing the effect of implanted voltage sources are interpreted in terms of the mechanism described here.