FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Irish veterinary journal2007; 60(5); 295-299; doi: 10.1186/2046-0481-60-5-295

An investigation into the depth of penetration of low level laser therapy through the equine tendon in vivo.

Abstract: Low level laser therapy (LLLT) is frequently used in the treatment of wounds, soft tissue injury and in pain management. The exact penetration depth of LLLT in human tissue remains unspecified. Similar uncertainty regarding penetration depth arises in treating animals. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that transmission of LLLT in horses is increased by clipping the hair and/or by cleaning the area to be treated with alcohol, but is unaffected by coat colour. A LLLT probe (810 nm, 500 mW) was applied to the medial aspect of the superficial flexor tendon of seventeen equine forelimbs in vivo. A light sensor was applied to the lateral aspect, directly opposite the laser probe to measure the amount of light transmitted. Light transmission was not affected by individual horse, coat colour or leg. However, it was associated with leg condition (F = 4.42, p = 0.0032). Tendons clipped dry and clipped and cleaned with alcohol, were both associated with greater transmission of light than the unprepared state. Use of alcohol without clipping was not associated with an increase in light transmission. These results suggest that, when applying laser to a subcutaneous structure in the horse, the area should be clipped and cleaned beforehand.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2007-05-01 PubMed ID: 21851694PubMed Central: PMC3113823DOI: 10.1186/2046-0481-60-5-295Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates how the penetration depth of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) into the equine tendon can be improved by various means such as clipping the horse’s hair or cleaning the treatment area with alcohol. The study ultimately concluded that these two methods were effective in enhancing the transmission of light from the LLLT, and as such, should be employed before applying laser to a subcutaneous structure in the horse.

Objective of the Research

  • To determine the penetration depth of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in equine tendon tissues in vivo.
  • To test the hypothesis that the transmission of LLLT in horses can be improved by either clipping the hair or cleaning the area intended for treatment with alcohol.
  • To assess the impact of coat colour on the penetration depth of LLLT.

Methodolgy

  • An LLLT probe with specifications (810 nm, 500 mW) was used in the experiment.
  • The probe was applied to the medial aspect of the superficial flexor tendon of seventeen equine forelimbs in vivo.
  • A light sensor was positioned on the lateral side, directly opposite the laser probe to measure the amount of light transmitted through the tendon.

Results

  • Light transmission through the equine tendon was not influenced by factors such as the individual horse, its coat colour, or the leg on which the LLLT was applied.
  • It was observed that the light transmission was affected by the leg condition (F = 4.42, p = 0.0032).
  • Tendons that had been clipped dry and those clipped and cleaned with alcohol, both exhibited better light transmission as compared to those that weren’t prepared before the application of LLLT.
  • No marked increase in light transmission was observed in the case where alcohol was used for cleaning without prior clipping.

Conclusion

  • The study’s results suggest that before applying laser to a subcutaneous structure in a horse, the area should be clipped and cleaned. These preparatory steps enhance the light penetration depth of the LLLT, thereby potentially enhancing the overall effectiveness of the treatment.

Cite This Article

APA
Ryan T, Smith R. (2007). An investigation into the depth of penetration of low level laser therapy through the equine tendon in vivo. Ir Vet J, 60(5), 295-299. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-60-5-295

Publication

Irish veterinary journal
ISSN: 0368-0762
NlmUniqueID: 0100762
Country: Ireland
Language: English
Volume: 60
Issue: 5
Pages: 295-299

Researcher Affiliations

Ryan, Teresa
  • 1The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 7 TA, UK. vetphysio@iolfree.ie.
Smith, Rkw

    References

    This article includes 35 references
    1. Basford JR. Low energy laser therapy: Controversies and new research findings.. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 1989;9:1–5.
      doi: 10.1002/lsm.1900090103pubmed: 2648091google scholar: lookup
    2. Baxter GD. Therapeutic Lasers, Theory and Practice. 1. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1994.
    3. Baxter GD. Laser therapy seminar, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. 1999.
    4. Baxter GD. Low-intensity laser therapy. Electrotherapy: Evidence-Based Practice 11. Kitchen S, Bazin S, editor. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2002; pp. 171–190.
    5. Baxter GD. Personal communication. 2004.
    6. Baxter GD, Bell AJ, Allen JM, Ravey J. Low level laser therapy: Current clinical practice in Northern Ireland.. Physiotherapy 1991;77(3):171–178.
      doi: 10.1016/S0031-9406(10)61696-3google scholar: lookup
    7. Beckerman H, de Bie RA, Bouter LM, De Cuyper HJ, Oostendorp RA. The efficacy of laser therapy for musculoskeletal and skin disorders: A criteria based meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials.. Physical Therapy 1992;72(7):483–491.
      pubmed: 1409881
    8. Bromiley M. Equine Injury, Therapy and Rehabilitation. 2. Oxford: Blackwell Science; 1993.
    9. Brousseau L, Welch V, Wells G, deBie R, Gam A, Harman K, Morin M, Shea B, Tugwell P. Low level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III) for treating rheumatoid arthritis (Cochrane review). The Cochrane Library Vol. 4. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons; 2003.
      pmc: PMC8406947pubmed: 16235295
    10. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Guidelines for the safe use of lasers in physiotherapy.. Physiotherapy 1991;77(3):169–171.
      doi: 10.1016/S0031-9406(10)61695-1google scholar: lookup
    11. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Standards for the use of electrophysical modalities and guidance in their application. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Information Resource Centre 1998; Laser therapy; pp. 27–30.
    12. De Bie R, Verhagen A, Lenssen T, de Vet R, van den Wildenberg F. Oral presentation: Efficacy of 904 nm laser therapy in musculoskeletal disorders: a systematic review.. The Cochrane Library Chichester: John Wiley and Sons; 1996.
    13. Enwemeka CS. Attenuation and penetration of visible 632.8 nm and invisible infra-red 904 nm light in soft tissues.. Laser Therapy Journal 2003;13:16.
    14. Flemming K, Cullum N. Laser therapy for venous leg ulcers (Cochrane methodology review). The Cochrane Library Vol. 4. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons; 2003.
    15. Fretz PB, Li Z. Low energy laser irradiation treatment for second intention wound healing in horses.. Canadian Veterinary Journal 1992;33:650–653.
      pmc: PMC1481396pubmed: 17424089
    16. Gam AN, Thorsen H, Lonnberg F. The effect of low level laser therapy on musculoskeletal pain: a meta-analysis.. Pain 1993;53:63–66.
      doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(93)90114-5pubmed: 8446437google scholar: lookup
    17. Gur A, Cosut A, Sarac AJ, Cevik R, Nas K, Uyar A. Efficacy of different therapy regimes of low power laser in painful osteoarthritis of the knee: a double blind and randomised controlled trial.. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 2003;33(5):330–338.
      doi: 10.1002/lsm.10236pubmed: 14677160google scholar: lookup
    18. Honmura A, Yanase M, Obata J, Haruki E. Therapeutic effect of Ga-Al-As diode laser irradiation on experimentally induced inflammation in rats.. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 1992;12:441–444.
      doi: 10.1002/lsm.1900120414pubmed: 1495372google scholar: lookup
    19. Kaneps AJ, Hultgren BD, Riebold TW, Shires GMH. Laser therapy in the horse: Histopathological response.. American Journal of Veterinary Research 1984;45(3):581–582.
      pubmed: 6711990
    20. Kitchen SS, Partridge CJ. A review of low level laser therapy.. Physiotherapy 1991;77(3):161–168.
      doi: 10.1016/S0031-9406(10)61694-Xgoogle scholar: lookup
    21. Kolari PJ. Penetration of unfocused laser light into the skin.. Archives of Dermatological Research 1985;277:342–344.
      doi: 10.1007/BF00509097pubmed: 4004332google scholar: lookup
    22. Kolarova H, Ditrichova D, Wagner J. Penetration of the laser light into the skin in vitro.. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 1999;24:231–235.
      doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9101(1999)24:3<231::AID-LSM8>3.0.CO;2-#pubmed: 10229154google scholar: lookup
    23. Low J, Reed A. Electrotherapy Explained: principles and practice. 3. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann; 2000.
    24. Lucroy MD, Edwards BF, Madewell BR. Low-intensity laser light-induced closure of a chronic wound in a dog.. Veterinary Surgery 1999;28:292–295.
      doi: 10.1053/jvet.1999.0292pubmed: 10424710google scholar: lookup
    25. Marr CM, Love JS, Boyd Q, McKellar Q. Factors affecting the clinical outcome of injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon in National Hunt and point-to-point racehorses.. The Veterinary Record 1993;132:476–479.
      doi: 10.1136/vr.132.19.476pubmed: 8506599google scholar: lookup
    26. Martin BJ, Kilde AM. Treatment of chronic back pain in horses: Stimulation of acupuncture points with a low powered infrared laser.. Veterinary Surgery 1987;16(1):106–110.
      doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.1987.tb00919.xpubmed: 2976547google scholar: lookup
    27. McKibbin LS, Paraschak D. Use of laser light to treat certain lesions in standardbreds.. Modern Veterinary Practice 1984;65(3):210–213.
      pubmed: 6727856
    28. Mester AF, Mester A. Wound healing.. Laser Therapy 1989;1(1):7–15.
    29. Petersen SL, Botes C, Olivier A, Guthrie AJ. The effect of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on wound healing in horses.. Equine Veterinary Journal 1999;31(3):228–231.
      doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb03177.xpubmed: 10402136google scholar: lookup
    30. Petrie A, Sabin C. Medical Statistics at a glance. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications; 2000.
    31. Ramey DW, Basford JR. Laser therapy in horses.. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian 2000;22(3):263–272.
    32. Saunders L. The efficacy of low level laser therapy in supraspinatus tendonitis.. Clinical Rehabilitation 1995;9:126–134.
      doi: 10.1177/026921559500900207google scholar: lookup
    33. Sharma R, Thukral A, Kumar S, Bhargava SK. Effect of low level lasers in de Quervains tenosynovitis - a prospective study with ultrasonographic assessment.. Physiotherapy 2002;88(12):714–775.
      doi: 10.1016/S0031-9406(05)60716-Xgoogle scholar: lookup
    34. Vasseljen O, Hoeg N, Kjeldstad B, Johnsson A, Larsen S. Low level laser versus placebo in the treatment of tennis elbow.. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation in Medicine 1992;24:37–42.
      pubmed: 1604260
    35. Young S, Bolton P, Dyson M, Harvey W, Diamantopoulos C. Macrophage responsiveness to light therapy.. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 1989;9:497–505.
      doi: 10.1002/lsm.1900090513pubmed: 2811573google scholar: lookup

    Citations

    This article has been cited 11 times.
    1. Kamlangchai P, Kampa N, Srithunyarat T, Seesupa S, Hoisang S, Kaenkangploo D, Jitasombuti P, Nonthakotr C, Boonbal N, Jitpean S. Assessing the potential efficacy of 830-nanometer low-level laser therapy in cats: Extraoral applications. Vet World 2024 May;17(5):1124-1129.
      doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1124-1129pubmed: 38911083google scholar: lookup
    2. Orzołek A, Rafalska KT, Domosławska-Wyderska A, Rafalska AM, Dziekońska A, Jastrzębska E, Dobbek D. The effect of solarium light therapy on selected biological and biochemical parameters of peripheral blood in young and old horses. PLoS One 2024;19(5):e0304290.
      doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304290pubmed: 38787841google scholar: lookup
    3. Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Dudek K, Ruzhanova-Gospodinova IS. A Preliminary Study of the Influence of High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Tone Changes in Thoroughbred Racehorses with Back Pain. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 22;13(5).
      doi: 10.3390/ani13050794pubmed: 36899651google scholar: lookup
    4. Millis DL, Bergh A. A Systematic Literature Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine: Laser Therapy. Animals (Basel) 2023 Feb 14;13(4).
      doi: 10.3390/ani13040667pubmed: 36830454google scholar: lookup
    5. Zielińska P, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Śniegucka K, Dudek K, Čebulj-Kadunc N. Effects of High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) on Skin Surface Temperature and Vein Diameter in Healthy Racehorses with Clipped and Non-Clipped Coat. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 6;13(2).
      doi: 10.3390/ani13020216pubmed: 36670756google scholar: lookup
    6. Jaafar SE, Al-Bayti AAH, Abdullah SI. Using Short Term of High Power Laser Therapy in Horse's Tendon Injuries. Arch Razi Inst 2021 Nov;76(5):1437-1444.
      doi: 10.22092/ari.2021.356105.1779pubmed: 35355739google scholar: lookup
    7. Lyu K, Liu X, Jiang L, Chen Y, Lu J, Zhu B, Liu X, Li Y, Wang D, Li S. The Functions and Mechanisms of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Tendon Repair (Review). Front Physiol 2022;13:808374.
      doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.808374pubmed: 35242050google scholar: lookup
    8. Hochman-Elam LN, Heidel RE, Shmalberg JW. Effects of laser power, wavelength, coat length, and coat color on tissue penetration using photobiomodulation in healthy dogs. Can J Vet Res 2020 Apr;84(2):131-137.
      pubmed: 32255908
    9. Memon MA, Shmalberg J, Adair HS 3rd, Allweiler S, Bryan JN, Cantwell S, Carr E, Chrisman C, Egger CM, Greene S, Haussler KK, Hershey B, Holyoak GR, Johnson M, Jeune SL, Looney A, McConnico RS, Medina C, Morton AJ, Munsterman A, Nie GJ, Park N, Parsons-Doherty M, Perdrizet JA, Peyton JL, Raditic D, Ramirez HP, Saik J, Robertson S, Sleeper M, Dyke JV, Wakshlag J. Integrative veterinary medical education and consensus guidelines for an integrative veterinary medicine curriculum within veterinary colleges. Open Vet J 2016;6(1):44-56.
      doi: 10.4314/ovj.v6i1.7pubmed: 27200270google scholar: lookup
    10. Shmalberg J, Memon MA. A Retrospective Analysis of 5,195 Patient Treatment Sessions in an Integrative Veterinary Medicine Service: Patient Characteristics, Presenting Complaints, and Therapeutic Interventions. Vet Med Int 2015;2015:983621.
      doi: 10.1155/2015/983621pubmed: 26798552google scholar: lookup
    11. Sharp B. Feline physiotherapy and rehabilitation: 1. principles and potential. J Feline Med Surg 2012 Sep;14(9):622-32.
      doi: 10.1177/1098612X12458209pubmed: 22918845google scholar: lookup
    Subscribe to our newsletter
    Join 99,780 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.