The purpose of this study is to determine whether low level laser light therapy is effective as an adjunctive therapy to the healing of venous stasis leg ulcers.
A chronic venous stasis leg ulcer is a wound below the knee that fails to heal within 6 weeks. Venous stasis ulcers account for 80% to 90% of all leg and foot ulcers, affecting an estimated 500,000-600,000 people in the United States every year. Venous stasis ulcers account for the loss of 2 million working days and incur treatment costs around $3 billion dollars annually in the United States. Standard of care for venous stasis ulcers includes compression of the affected leg together with daily dressing changes to minimize swelling; debridement of the ulcer to remove dead tissue and bacteria; and daily wound Care dressing to keep the wound clean. Venous stasis ulcers typically have very lengthy and poor healing rates, with up to 50% remaining open and unhealed for 9 months or longer. Many patients suffer pain and sleep and mobility problems, impairing quality of life. Recurrence rates for venous stasis ulcers is very high, with about one third of treated individuals experiencing 4 or more episodes of ulceration. Low level laser light therapy (LLLT), with its proven tissue healing acceleration properties has recently gained attention as a simple, non-invasive alternative adjunctive therapy to assist in both wound closure and accelerated time to wound closure. Numerous histological trials have exhibited laser therapy's capacity to upregulate essential wound-healing factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), oxygen concentration, fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, re-epithelialization, and tissue granulation. Clinically, the application of laser therapy has demonstrated promise, accelerating the rate of wound healing and tissue contracture.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
24
Erchonia MLS comprises three 17.5 mW 635 nm diodes. The center diode is fixed at 6 inches above the venous stasis ulcer center and the other 2 diodes rotate about this center fixed diode for 20 minutes. Total dosage delivered to the skin is 2.95 J/cm squared.
Placebo Laser has no therapeutic output emitted.
Jeffrey Kenkel, MD
Dallas, Texas, United States
Luc Teot, MD
Montpellier, France
Difference in the Proportion of Venous Stasis Ulcers Attaining Complete Wound Closure Between Treatment Groups
'Complete wound closure' is defined as skin re-epithelialization without drainage or dressing requirements confirmed across a consecutive two-week evaluation period. Efficacy success was defined as a statistically significant greater proportion of venous stasis ulcers in the test procedure group achieving complete wound closure compared with the proportion of venous stasis ulcers in the placebo procedure group achieving complete wound closure.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 Weeks
Change in Ulcer Size
The study ulcer was digitally photographed, and the ulcer size/area calculated in centimeters squared (cm²) using the Aranz Medical SilhouetteMobile™ System, a portable handheld computer device with custom camera and software that enables capturing of a wound image at the point of care. The change in ulcer size from baseline to study endpoint (12 weeks) was calculated. A decrease in ulcer size indicates an improvement in the ulcer status and is positive for study success. An increase in ulcer size indicates a worsening of the ulcer status and is negative for study success.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 Weeks
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