EFFECT OF LOW LEVEL LASER ON HEALING IN WOUNDED FETAL MOUSE LIMBS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of laser therapy on wound healing processes in vitro. Day 16 Fetal mouse limbs (n=139) were wounded using a standardized full thickness excision, and placed into a serum free organ culture system. All limbs received daily one minute laser treatments for 3 to 7 days at one of the following intensities: 0 (Sham), 0.23, 1.37, 2.75, 3.66, and 4.58 J/cm2 from a Gahium Arsenide (Ga-As) 904nm laser. The results showed that laser treatment, at an energy density of 0.23 and 1.37 J/cm2, significantly augmented the change in wound size, wound closure rate, and wound appearance in a dose dependent manner. Collagen deposition in the bone and dermis of wounded fetal mouse limbs was greatest in limbs that were treated with certain doses of laser (0.23, 2.75, and 3.66 J/cm2). Administration of higher doses of laser (4.58 J/cm2) was detrimental to both the photographic and histological appearance of the wound. We conclude that laser therapy, when delivered at an appropriate energy density, can directly promote wound healing processes.