TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of photobiomodulation on pain and clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty in individuals with knee osteoarthritis
T2 - A scoping review
AU - Shetty, Saidan
AU - Vijayan, Sandeep
AU - George, Bincy M.
AU - Mohandas Rao, K. G.
AU - Arany, Praveen
AU - Bensadoun, René Jean
AU - Houreld, Nicolette
AU - Laakso, E. Liisa
AU - Maiya, G. Arun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2026/2
Y1 - 2026/2
N2 - Purpose: Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a noninvasive technique that has emerged as an effective intervention for the management of various disorders by targeting tissue healing and repair. Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence on the effects of PBM on pain and clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, and ProQuest to identify evidence on the effect of PBM on pain and clinical outcomes after TKA in individuals with knee OA. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was used for critical appraisal of the randomized controlled trials included in this scoping review. Results: The literature search identified a total of 376 records. After removing duplications, 299 abstracts were retrieved for further analysis, of which 25 full-text articles were reviewed, and 3 studies were analyzed in this review. The methodological quality of the studies was moderate to good. These studies revealed that PBM treatments enabled earlier recovery post-TKA by significantly reducing pain (p < 0.05), decreasing swelling (p < 0.05), and improving knee range of motion (ROM) and function (p < 0.05). Conclusion: PBM has a positive effect on reducing pain and swelling and improving knee flexion ROM and function in the immediate postsurgical period post-TKA in individuals with knee OA. However, the results concerning pain relief and improved ROM are inconsistent highlighting the need for high-quality research to establish its clinical utility.
AB - Purpose: Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a noninvasive technique that has emerged as an effective intervention for the management of various disorders by targeting tissue healing and repair. Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize the evidence on the effects of PBM on pain and clinical outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, and ProQuest to identify evidence on the effect of PBM on pain and clinical outcomes after TKA in individuals with knee OA. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was used for critical appraisal of the randomized controlled trials included in this scoping review. Results: The literature search identified a total of 376 records. After removing duplications, 299 abstracts were retrieved for further analysis, of which 25 full-text articles were reviewed, and 3 studies were analyzed in this review. The methodological quality of the studies was moderate to good. These studies revealed that PBM treatments enabled earlier recovery post-TKA by significantly reducing pain (p < 0.05), decreasing swelling (p < 0.05), and improving knee range of motion (ROM) and function (p < 0.05). Conclusion: PBM has a positive effect on reducing pain and swelling and improving knee flexion ROM and function in the immediate postsurgical period post-TKA in individuals with knee OA. However, the results concerning pain relief and improved ROM are inconsistent highlighting the need for high-quality research to establish its clinical utility.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022206484
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105022206484#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1016/j.jor.2025.11.009
DO - 10.1016/j.jor.2025.11.009
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105022206484
SN - 0972-978X
VL - 72
SP - 133
EP - 142
JO - Journal of Orthopaedics
JF - Journal of Orthopaedics
ER -