The effects of phototherapy of an 808 nm diode laser on bone fracture

Abstract

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of low-level laser phototherapy on hand and forearm fractures. [Subjects and Methods] This was a one-group pretest-posttest design study. We recruited 9 patients with hand or forearm fracture, and they received diode laser treatment (808 nm, 10 Hz, 60 mW). Evaluation of pain on a visual analog scale (VAS) and radiographic assessments were made pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at two weeks of follow-up. [Results] There were significant differences in VAS scores between pre-intervention and postintervention and between pre-intervention and 2 weeks of follow up. In the radiographic assessment, the percentage of detectable cortical bridging also increased significantly after phototherapy. [Conclusions] We consider that lowlevel laser phototherapy is effective for human bone healing and pain relief.