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Phototherapy for enhancing peripheral nerve repair: A review of the literature
Author(s) -
GigoBenato Davilene,
Geuna Stefano,
Rochkind Shimon
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.20305
Subject(s) - medicine , peripheral nerve , regeneration (biology) , nerve repair , lesion , peripheral nerve injury , clinical trial , rehabilitation , review article , nerve injury , surgery , pathology , anatomy , physical therapy , biology , microbiology and biotechnology
Posttraumatic nerve repair continues to be a major challenge of restorative medicine. Although enormous progress has been made in surgical techniques over the past three decades, functional recovery after a severe lesion of a major nerve trunk is often incomplete and sometimes unsatisfactory. It is thus particularly important to investigate clinical protocols to enhance nerve regeneration after surgical nerve repair. The present article reviews literature on one possible rehabilitation approach for enhancing nerve recovery, namely phototherapy. The number of experimental studies that have reported on the promoting action of phototherapy on peripheral nerve regeneration, together with the few known side effects related to the use of this type of physical therapy, make it possible to suggest that the time for broader clinical trials has come. Muscle Nerve, 2005