A Comparison Between Low-Level Laser Therapyand Intra-articular Ozone Injection in KneeOsteoarthritis Treatment: A Randomized ClinicalTrial

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative joint disease, causing deformity,pain and a limited joint range of motion. Modification of the lifestyle and an exercise trainingprogram are the cornerstone of treatment. Alternative therapies such as laser or ozone are commonlyused, but there is not any comparative study of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) versus ozone therapy.The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of the LLLT versus ozone in patientswith KOA.Methods: In this single-blinded randomized clinical trial, ۶۰ patients with KOA were assigned toLLLT or ozone groups (n = ۳۰). The First basic pain severity, the Western Ontario and McMasterUniversities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score and physical function were determined. Then in theLLLT group, the patients were provided with ۱۲ sessions of LLLT. In the ozone group, ۶ sessions ofintra-articular injection of ozone were organized (in each session a mixture of ۱۰ mL of bupivacaine۰.۲۵% with ۱۵ mL of ozone ۳۰ μg/mL). In the middle and at the end of the intervention period, wereassessed the joint pain and physical function and the degree of improvement compared betweenthe two groups.Results: In the middle and at the end of the treatment period in both groups, the joint pain decreasedsignificantly. The same as pain, the self-administrated WOMAC score and the range of joint motionimproved significantly in both groups. All of these variables exposed more improvement in theozone group patients.Conclusion: The study showed that both LLLT and ozone are acceptable non-invasive methodsin the non-surgical treatment of KOA. Compared to LLLT, the ozone was more effective. Thesemethods must be considered in any patient who is not suitable for surgical interventions or does notexperience enough improvement in symptoms following long periods of common exercise trainingprograms.

Keywords:

Knee osteoarthritis , Low-level laser therapies , Ozone therapy