The treatment of bone loss due to different etiologic factors is difficult, and many techniques aim to improve repair, including a wide range of biomaterials and, recently, photobioengineering. This work aimed to assess, through Raman spectroscopy, the level of bone mineralization using the intensities of the Raman peaks of both inorganic (∼ 960, ∼ 1,070, and ∼ 1,077 cm(-1)) and organic (∼ 1,454 and ∼ 1,666 cm(-1)) contents of bone tissue. Forty rats were divided into four groups each subdivided into two subgroups according to the time of killing (15 and 30 days). Surgical bone defects were made on femur of each animal with a trephine drill. On animals of group Clot, the defect was filled only by blood clot; on group Laser, the defect filled with the clot was further irradiated. On animals of groups Biomaterial and Laser + Biomaterial, the defect was filled by biomaterial and the last one was further irradiated (λ780 nm, 70 mW, Φ ∼ 0.4 cm(2), 20 J/cm(2) session, 140 J/cm(2) treatment) in four points around the defect at 48-h intervals and repeated for 2 weeks. At both 15th and 30th day following killing, samples were taken and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. At the end of the experimental time, the intensities of both inorganic and organic contents were higher on group Laser + Biomaterial. It is concluded that the use of laser phototherapy associated to biomaterial was effective in improving bone healing on bone defects as a result of the increasing deposition of calcium hydroxyapatite measured by Raman spectroscopy.

We studied peaks of calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA) and protein and lipid CH groups in defects grafted with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) treated or not with LED irradiation, bone morphogenetic proteins and guided bone regeneration. A total of 90 rats were divided into ten groups each of which was subdivided into three subgroups (evaluated at 15, 21 and 30 days after surgery). Defects were irradiated with LED light (wavelength 850 ± 10 nm) at 48-h intervals for 15 days. Raman readings were taken at the surface of the defects. There were no statistically significant differences in the CHA peaks among the nonirradiated defects at any of the experimental time-points. On the other hand, there were significant differences between the defects filled with blood clot and the irradiated defects at all time-points (p < 0.001, p = 0.02, p < 0.001). There were significant differences between the mean peak CHA in nonirradiated defects at all the experimental time-points (p < 0.01). The mean peak of the defects filled with blood clot was significantly different from that of the defects filled with MTA (p < 0.001). There were significant differences between the defects filled with blood clot and the irradiated defects (p < 0.001). The results of this study using Raman spectral analysis indicate that infrared LED light irradiation improves the deposition of CHA in healing bone grafted or not with MTA.

LPT was effective in increasing angiogenesis as seen on irradiated subjects and was more pronounced when IR laser light was used.

The results of the present study indicate that laser phototherapy has a positive effect on the healing of infected wounds, particularly with the association of λ680 + λ790 nm.

The aim of the present study was to assess, by Raman spectroscopy and laser fluorescence, the repair of surgical fractures fixed with wire osteosynthesis treated or not with infrared laser (λ780 nm, 50 mW, 4 × 4 J/cm(2) =16 J/cm(2), ϕ=0.5 cm(2), CW) associated or not to the use of hydroxyapatite and guided bone regeneration. Surgical tibial fractures were created under general anesthesia on 15 rabbits that were divided into five groups, maintained on individual cages, at day/night cycle, fed with solid laboratory pelted diet, and had water ad libitum. The fractures in groups II, III, IV, and V were fixed with wires. Animals in groups III and V were grafted with hydroxyapatite (HA) and guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique used. Animals in groups IV and V were irradiated at every other day during 2 weeks (4 × 4 J/cm(2), 16 J/cm(2) =112 J/cm(2)). Observation time was that of 30 days. After animal death, specimens were taken and kept in liquid nitrogen and used for Raman spectroscopy. The Raman results showed basal readings of 1,234.38 ± 220. Groups WO+B+L showed higher readings (1,680.22 ± 822) and group WO+B the lowest (501.425 ± 328). Fluorescence data showed basal readings of 5.83333 ± 0.7. Groups WO showed higher readings (6.91667 ± 0.9) and group WO+B+L the lowest (1.66667 ± 0.5). There were significant differences between groups on both cases (p<0.05). Pearson correlation was negative and significant (R (2)   = -0.60; p<0.001), and it was indicative that, when the Raman peaks of calcium hydroxyapatite (CHA) are increased, the level of fluorescence is reduced. It is concluded that the use of near-infrared lasertherapy associated to HA graft and GBR was effective in improving bone healing on fractured bones as a result of the increasing deposition of CHA measured by Raman spectroscopy and decrease of the organic components as shown by the fluorescence readings.