The Role of Photobiomodulation and Light Therapy in Enhancing Burn Wound Recovery

BACKGROUNDPhotobiomodulation (PBM) is a non-invasive treatment using low-intensity red or near-infrared light to stimulate tissue repair and reduce inflammation. While used in aesthetic and rehabilitative medicine, its role in burn wound healing remains underexplored. Given biological parallels between post-injury remodeling and cosmetic rejuvenation, a systematic review of PBM in burn care is warranted.

AIMSTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness, safety, and outcomes of PBM—such as low-level laser and light-emitting diode (LED) therapy—in human burn patients.

METHODSA systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS was conducted up to 2024. The MEDLINE search was conducted via Ovid MEDLINE, which includes all records indexed in PubMed, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the biomedical literature. Studies were included if they investigated PBM in human burn patients and reported at least one clinical outcome. Two reviewers independently screened studies; a third resolved conflicts. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Cochrane tool. Due to outcome heterogeneity, narrative synthesis was performed. A binary heatmap visualized patterns across six domains: wound area, healing time, pain (VAS), scar quality (VSS), patient satisfaction, and adverse events.

RESULTSSeven studies involving 190 patients were included. Healing time and pain (VAS) were most frequently reported, followed by wound area and scar quality. Only one study assessed patient satisfaction, and adverse events were inconsistently reported. PBM showed promising effects, including reduced healing time and pain. However, limited comparable data precluded meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONPBM appears to be a promising adjunct in burn care, with benefits in healing, pain, and scar remodeling. However, methodological limitations, dosing variability, and inconsistent outcome reporting limit conclusions. High-quality, standardized trials using validated patient-reported outcomes are needed.

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