Effects of Therapy with Light Emitting Diode (LED) in the Calcaneal Tendon Lesions of Rats: A Literature Review

The objective of this review was to analyze original articles about the effects of therapy with LED in experimental models of calcaneal tendon lesions of rats. The search was performed in the period from February to May 2018, in the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, SciELO, and LILACS, besides the Google Scholar, using the descriptors “Achilles tendon”, “Rats”, “LED”, “Tendinopathy”, and “Low-level Light Therapy”, as well as their matching parts in the Portuguese and Spanish languages, related to and in association with the relevant terms to the content sought. From the descriptors used 215 works were found. After application of eligibility criteria 8 works were selected, in which positive results were found after the application of the LED. Regarding the main results found with phototherapy, we observed a significant reduction in inflammation. Only one article mentioned little reduction of inflammation. In relation to the number of sessions, there was wide variation, with an average of approximately 5 sessions every 24 hours. Studies in this review pointed out, therefore, positive results in the repair of the calcaneal tendon after therapy with irradiation LED; however, carrying out more experimental studies that help the standardization of parameters to be used in this therapy for further clinical studies becomes necessary.