ABSTRACT
Wound healing is a common and often overlooked process that
restores the host to a functional form following surgery, iatrogenic
injury, or trauma. This process proceeds normally much of the
time. However, several conditions can result in impaired or delayed
healing with resulting increased risks of morbidity and mortality
as a result of complications attributable to chronic wounds. Low-
level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) is being applied both clinically
and experimentally using various light sources to facilitate healing,
particularly in refractory wounds. The most effective wavelengths
appear to be clustered in the red and near-infrared (NIR) portions
of the electromagnetic spectrum [1, 5, 6, 11, 13-16, 20, 27-29, 34,
35, 38]. This chapter will discuss the applications of LLLT in the
management of poorly healing wounds and ulcers.
