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Effect of low-level laser therapy on healing of tenotomized Achilles tendon in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

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Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with musculoskeletal damage. Investigations have indicated that healing of the surgically tenotomized Achilles tendon was considerably augmented following low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in non-diabetic, healthy animals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of LLLT on the Achilles tendon healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) rats via a biomechanical evaluating method. Thirty-three rats were divided into non-diabetic (n = 18) and diabetic (n = 15) groups. DM was induced in the rats by injections of STZ. The right Achilles tendons of all rats were tenotomized 1 month after STZ injections. The two experimental groups (n = 6 for each group) of non-diabetic rats were irradiated with a helium–neon (He–Ne) laser at 2.9 and 11.5 J/cm2 for ten consecutive days. The two experimental groups of diabetic rats (n = 5 for each group) were irradiated with a He–Ne laser at 2.9 and 4.3 J/cm2 for ten consecutive days. The tendons were submitted to a tensiometric test. Significant improvements in the maximum stress (MS) values (Newton per square millimeter) were found following LLLT at 2.9 J/cm2 in both the non-diabetic (p = 0.031) and diabetic (p = 0.019) experimental groups when compared with their control groups. LLLT at 2.9 J/cm2 to the tenotomized Achilles tendons in the non-diabetic and diabetic rats significantly increased the strength and MS of repairing Achilles tendons in our study.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to extend our sincere thanks to the late Mrs. Jamileh Rezaei and the Vice-Chancellor of Research at the Medical Faculty of Shaheed Beheshti University MC, Tehran, Iran for financial support (grant no. 13.15183).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical sciences and Biology, Medical Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, MC, PO Box 19395/4719, Tehran, 1985717443, Iran

    Mohsen Nouruzian, Morteza Alidoust & Mohammad Bayat

  2. Dentistry Faculty, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mehernoush Bayat

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Welfare and Rehabilitative Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Akbari

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  1. Mohsen Nouruzian
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  2. Morteza Alidoust
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Correspondence to Mohammad Bayat.

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Nouruzian, M., Alidoust, M., Bayat, M. et al. Effect of low-level laser therapy on healing of tenotomized Achilles tendon in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Lasers Med Sci 28, 399–405 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-012-1074-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-012-1074-7

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