Histological analysis of the association of low level laser therapy and platelet-rich plasma in regeneration of muscle injury in rats.
Thiago Alves Garcia, Regina Celi Trindade Camargo, Tatiana Emy Koike and 3 others
PMID 28733091WHAT IT FOUND
In rats with muscle strain, low-level laser plus platelet-rich plasma showed less inflammation and smaller injury than either alone.
Laser alone increased collagen. This is microscopic tissue findings only, not evidence that people recover faster.
Key findings
01In rats with muscle injury, the group receiving both low-level laser and platelet-rich plasma showed lesser inflammatory cells and smaller injured area, with lower structural disorder compared with the other groups.
02The injured group treated with low-level laser alone had significantly more collagen staining than the untreated control group and the injured group treated with platelet-rich plasma alone.
03Eight animals (22.9%) were lost from the study, mainly because the platelet-rich plasma protocol removed 4 mL of blood.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The work was done in rats, not people, so it does not show what would happen in a patient's muscle, pain, strength or return to sport. Only microscopic tissue appearance was measured; no clinical recovery outcomes were reported. Eight animals (22.9%) were lost, mainly because the platelet-rich plasma protocol removed 4 mL of blood from young rats. The final number analysed after losses is not given. The study ended seven days after injury, so it cannot show what happens later. Animal weight could have affected injury intensity, according to the authors.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that laser plus platelet-rich plasma speeds muscle recovery in athletes. It was a rat tissue study with no human outcomes, and 22.9% of animals were lost.