Effect of low level laser therapy (830 nm) with different therapy regimes on the process of tissue repair in partial lesion calcaneous tendon

• Published in: Lasers in surgery and medicine Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 271 - 276
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Flávia Schlittler, Pinfildi, Carlos Eduardo, Parizoto, Nivaldo Antônio, Liebano, Richard Eloin, Bossini, Paulo Sergio, Garcia, Élvio Bueno, Ferreira, Lydia Masako
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01-04-2009
• Subjects: Achilles Tendon - injuries; Achilles Tendon - pathology; Achilles Tendon - radiation effects; Animals; calcaneous tendon; Collagen - radiation effects; Collagen - ultrastructure; diode laser; lesion tendon; low level laser therapy; Low-Level Light Therapy; Male; physical therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Wistar; repair tissue; Wound Healing; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - radiotherapy; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - rehabilitation
• ISSN: 0196-8092; 1096-9101
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.20760

Background and Objective
Calcaneous tendon is one of the most damaged tendons, and its healing may last from weeks to months to be completed. In the search after speeding tendon repair, low intensity laser therapy has shown favorable effect. To assess the effect of low intensity laser therapy on the process of tissue repair in calcaneous tendon after undergoing a partial lesion.
Study Design/Materials and Methods
Experimentally controlled randomized single blind study. Sixty male rats were used randomly and were assigned to five groups containing 12 animals each one; 42 out of 60 underwent lesion caused by dropping a 186 g weight over their Achilles tendon from a 20 cm height. In Group 1 (standard control), animals did not suffer the lesion nor underwent laser therapy; in Group 2 (control), animals suffered the lesion but did not undergo laser therapy; in Groups 3, 4, and 5, animals suffered lesion and underwent laser therapy for 3, 5, and 7 days, respectively. Animals which suffered lesion were sacrificed on the 8th day after the lesion and assessed by polarization microscopy to analyze the degree of collagen fibers organization.
Results
Both experimental and standard control Groups presented significant values when compared with the control Groups, and there was no significant difference when Groups 1 and 4 were compared; the same occurred between Groups 3 and 5.
Conclusion
Low intensity laser therapy was effective in the improvement of collagen fibers organization of the calcaneous tendon after undergoing a partial lesion. Lasers Surg. Med. 41:271–276, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.