Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31662383›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2019

Efficacy of low-level laser therapy on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials.

Martin Bjørn Stausholm, Ingvill Fjell Naterstad, Jon Joensen, Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes-Martins, Humaira Sæbø, Hans Lund, Kjartan Vibe Fersum, Jan Magnus Bjordal

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 76 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
10.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06122116 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Investigating Orthobiologics After Platelet-Rich Plasma and Photobiomodulation Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis

TypeinterventionalSponsorMusculoskeletal Injury Rehabilitation Research for Operational ReadinessRan2023 to 2024Enrolled33ConditionsKnee OsteoarthritisArmsPhysical Therapy, Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection, Photobiomodulation Therapy
NCT07078877 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Investigation of Sarcopenia in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis and the Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy on Sonographically Measured Femoral Cartilage and Quadriceps Thickness, Clinical Outcomes, and Regional Sarcopenia

TypeinterventionalSponsorAnkara Etlik City HospitalRan2025 to 2026Enrolled62ConditionsKnee Osteoarthritis, Low Level Laser Therapy, Regional Sarcopenia, Exercise TheraphyArmshome based exercise, Low Level Laser Therapy
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 146 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Regenerative Therapies for Basal Thumb Arthritis-A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023
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16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Martin Bjørn StausholmDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway m.b.stausholm@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-9869-0705
Ingvill Fjell NaterstadDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Jon JoensenDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão Lopes-MartinsInstituto de Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Humaira SæbøDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Hans LundCentre for Evidence-Based Practice, Hogskulen pa Vestlandet, Bergen, Norway.
Kjartan Vibe FersumDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Jan Magnus BjordalDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
University of Bergen · NOUniversidade do Vale do Paraíba · BRWestern Norway University of Applied Sciences · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesLow-level laser therapy (LLLT) is not recommended in major knee osteoarthritis (KOA) treatment guidelines. We investigated whether a LLLT dose-response relationship exists in KOA.

designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Eligible articles were identified through PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on 18 February 2019, reference lists, a book, citations and experts in the field. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: We solely included randomised placebo-controlled trials involving participants with KOA according to the American College of Rheumatology and/or Kellgren/Lawrence criteria, in which LLLT was applied to participants' knee(s). There were no language restrictions. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The included trials were synthesised with random effects meta-analyses and subgrouped by dose using the World Association for Laser Therapy treatment recommendations. Cochrane's risk-of-bias tool was used.

results22 trials (n=1063) were meta-analysed. Risk of bias was insignificant. Overall, pain was significantly reduced by LLLT compared with placebo at the end of therapy (14.23 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS; 95% CI 7.31 to 21.14)) and during follow-ups 1-12 weeks later (15.92 mm VAS (95% CI 6.47 to 25.37)). The subgroup analysis revealed that pain was significantly reduced by the recommended LLLT doses compared with placebo at the end of therapy (18.71 mm (95% CI 9.42 to 27.99)) and during follow-ups 2-12 weeks after the end of therapy (23.23 mm VAS (95% CI 10.60 to 35.86)). The pain reduction from the recommended LLLT doses peaked during follow-ups 2-4 weeks after the end of therapy (31.87 mm VAS significantly beyond placebo (95% CI 18.18 to 45.56)). Disability was also statistically significantly reduced by LLLT. No adverse events were reported.

conclusionLLLT reduces pain and disability in KOA at 4-8 J with 785-860 nm wavelength and at 1-3 J with 904 nm wavelength per treatment spot. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42016035587.

Indexed as

ArthralgiaHumansLow-Level Light TherapyOsteoarthritis, KneeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcomeknee osteoarthritislaser therapymeta-analysisphototherapysystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31662383
PMCPMC6830679
OpenAlexW2982565448

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.