Does addition of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in conservative care of knee arthritis successfully postpone the need for joint replacement?

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of low-level laser therapy into standard conventional physical therapy in elderly with bilateral symptomatic tricompartmental knee arthritis can successfully postpone the need for joint replacement surgery. LLLT used was 810-nm wavelength emitting from GaAlAs laser with power density of 20 mW/cm2 and 3.6 J/cm2. Three sessions of treatment per week for 12 consecutive weeks. After 6 year follow up, only one knee replacement was required for patients with the addition of LLLT, whereas for those that received the standard conservative treatment, nine required knee replacement.

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