Articular Cartilage Degradation and Photobiomodulation Therapy

Ray Marks

Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, NY 10027, USA

Dr. Ray Marks, Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Columbia University, Teachers College, New York, NY 10027, USA.

Keywords: Cartilage; Laser Therapy; Osteoarthritis; Photobiomodulation; Repair; Treatment

Abstract

Osteoarthritis cartilage pathology continues to be highly challenging to ameliorate effectively, and is often believed to be irreversible and impervious to restoration. Reviewed here are some current topical articles that discuss the possible influence of photobiomodulation therapy, previously termed low level laser therapy, in this regard. Specifically reviewed are relevant articles located in the PUBMED data base, with a focus on those published between 2017 and 2021 using the keywords: cartilage, cartilage repair, phototherapy, photobiomodulation or laser therapy. Results show that many forms of photobiomodulation/laser therapy appear to have the potential to influence cartilage structure and function favorably. More clinical studies are needed however, to expand upon the present largely preclinical data base in this regard, as well as on other spheres of joint pathology that appear associated with osteoarthritis and are favorably impacted by diverse laser applications.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. (CC BY 4.0).