Healing of Bone Affections and Gangrene with Low-Intensity Laser Irradiation in Diabetic Patients Suffering from Foot Infections.

OBJECTIVE

Evalution of low-intensity laser irradiation on the healing of bone affections and gangrene in patients suffering from diabetic microangiopathy. DESIGN: Case-report study. PATIENTS: Two consecutive diabetic male patients with gangrene, osteomyelitis, and bone fractures. INTERVENTION: Helium-neon laser irradiation (36 J/cm2 ) 50 min/day. MAIN OUTCOME PARAMETER: Healing of gangrene and corticalis lesion as well as remineralisation of bone affections. RESULTS: Within a mean period of 14 weeks not only a complete healing of the diabetic gangrenes but also a radiographically determined reestablishment of corticalis and remineralisation of preexisting bone affections could be achieved. CONCLUSION: We therefore conclude that low-intensity laser irradiation should be further tested as an additional beneficial therapeutic modality for the healing of gangrene and bone affections in diabetic patients.