Effects of Transcutaneous Photobiomodulation on Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Summary

Foot ulcers in people with diabetes mellitus represent one of the most serious chronic complications of the disease, being associated with persistent inflammation, high oxidative stress, microvascular dysfunction and systemic hemorheological changes that compromise the progression of the healing process. Given the pathophysiological complexity of these injuries, therapeutic strategies capable of acting simultaneously on the local wound microenvironment and the systemic biological environment become relevant for optimizing tissue repair. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the association between transcutaneous vascular photobiomodulation (FBMVT) and topical photobiomodulation (FBMT) in people with diabetes and foot ulcers. This is a randomized, controlled and prospective phase II clinical trial, with a sample of 20 participants allocated to experimental groups that will receive a standard dressing with neutral healing matrix (TLC) or a protocol combining FBMVT and FBMT. FBMVT will be performed with a 660 nm laser, 100 mW power, continuous mode and 180 J per application, monthly for 12 weeks, totaling four sessions. FBMT will be performed with a 660 nm laser, 100 mW power, 2 J energy per point, twice a week during dressing changes, totaling approximately 24 sessions throughout follow-up. The primary outcome will be the reduction in the area of the lesion (cm²), measured using a standardized planimetric method. As secondary outcomes, the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) score will be evaluated, the standardized infrared thermographic assessment of the monthly perilesional region of all participants and the qualitative analysis of peripheral blood by dark field microscopy (MCE) pre and post FBMVT of the intervention group. The data will be analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, after evaluating the normality of the data, adopting a significance level of 5%. It is expected to observe a reduction in the lesion area, improvement in clinical healing scores, favorable changes in the hemocirculatory dynamics observed in ECM and modulation of thermal patterns related to tissue perfusion, indicating that systemic and local biophotonic modulation can contribute to the optimization of the healing process in foot ulcers in people with diabetes.

Conditions

• Diabetes Mellitus
• Foot Ulcer

Interventions

RADIATION

PBM - Photobiomodulation

Application of transcutaneous PBM therapy to the foot ulcer Photobiomodulation (PBM)-formerly referred to as low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or cold laser therapy-is a non-invasive, non-thermal therapeutic modality that employs light in the red to near-infrared spectrum (typically spanning wavelengths from approximately 600 nm to 1,100 nm) to elicit beneficial biological responses in target tissues.

RADIATION

Placebo PBM

Application of transcutaneous PBM therapy - device switched off-

OTHER

Standard Treatment

cutaneous standard dressing with neutral healing matrix (TLC)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Nove de Julho

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-12

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2027-03-31

Countries

• Brazil

Study Locations