Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Enhancing Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Outcomes after Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty.

Four small trials suggest that photobiomodulation may help short-term pain, swelling, movement or function after knee or hip replacement, but the evidence is not yet strong enough for firm conclusions.

Eladl HM, Alrashedi SN, Allam NM, Elsherbini DMA, El-Sherbiny M, Abdelrahman MMA, Abulfaraj M.
Photobiomodulation, photomedicine, and laser surgery · Publication date: 2026-08-12
Added to site: 2026-10-08
DOI: 10.1177/25785478261475529

First published online August 12, 2026; the October issue date is later. Added October 8, 2026 as a historical addition.

Modalities

Photobiomodulation, Red and near-infrared light

Clinical focus

Arthroplasty rehabilitation, Pain, swelling and function

Population

Adults undergoing total knee or hip arthroplasty

Sample

Four randomized controlled trials with 133 participants; three knee-arthroplasty studies and one hip-arthroplasty study

Intervention / method

Searches of PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar through May 31, 2025; PROSPERO registration CRD420251123169

Comparator

Placebo or standard physical therapy

Clinician summary

Three trials reported improvements in postoperative pain and edema, and two reported better range of motion or functional outcomes. PEDro scores ranged from 8 to 10, but intervention parameters and outcome reporting varied.

How to interpret the findings

Only four trials and 133 participants were included. Treatment parameters and outcome measures were heterogeneous, the checked abstract does not provide individual effect estimates or a pooled meta-analysis, and the authors judged the evidence insufficient for conclusive efficacy. Longer follow-up and larger standardized trials are needed.

Equipment and disclosures

Photobiomodulation parameters and devices varied and were not enumerated in the checked abstract.

AlMaarefa University grant MHIRSP2025019 is indexed. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Related evidence

Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.