Advances in Knee Osteoarthritis and Photobiomodulation Therapy
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 60
Special Issue Editors
Interests: knee osteoarthritis; laser therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: knee osteoarthritis; physiotherapy; laser therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: knee osteoarthritis; photobiomodulation therapy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: pain; perception; pain management; education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the recent osteoarthritis treatment guidelines established by the National Institute of Health Care Excellence (NICE) in the U.K., therapeutic exercise and weight management are recommended alongside drug medication to alleviate pain, including topical or oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (or paracetamol if NSAIDs are contraindicated). NSAIDs and paracetamol are known to have harmful side-effects. Those devising these guidelines were unable to recommend electrophysical agents, including acupuncture, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), due to insufficient high-quality clinical trials to evaluate their benefit or harm.
PBMT applies red and near-infrared light over sites of pathology to facilitate tissue healing, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. PBMT includes low-level laser therapy (LLLT), high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), and light-emitting diode therapy (LEDT). It is unclear what the optimal PBMT parameters are. Both LLLT and LEDT have been studied for decades, whereas HILT has only recently become available due to advancements in equipment, and is therefore less studied. The results of a systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials indicates that LLLT, at ≥4 J with a wavelength of 785–860 nm and at ≥1 J with a wavelength of 904 nm per treatment spot, can reduce pain and disability associated with knee osteoarthritis in humans. Likewise, there is some evidence to support the use of LEDT and HILT.
The purpose of this Special Issue of Life is to disseminate research and catalyze debate on all matters related to the use of PBMT in knee osteoarthritis. We invite you to contribute articles on the mechanisms of action, efficacy, effectiveness, factors influencing response, technological advances, utility, and service delivery. We welcome cell and animal studies, clinical trials, narrative and systematic reviews, and viewpoint articles.
Dr. Martin Bjørn Stausholm
Prof. Dr. Jan Magnus Bjordal
Dr. Roberta Chow
Prof. Dr. Mark I. Johnson
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- knee osteoarthritis
- light-emitting diode therapy
- low-level laser therapy
- high-intensity laser therapy
- photobiomodulation therapy
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
