Pulsed high intensity laser versus extracorporeal shockwave therapy on hypertrophic scar post burn

Ali, Amira Fayed; El-Sayed, Aya Gamal; Ahmed, Mohammad Reda; Ashem, Haidy Nady

doi:10.21608/ejptr.2025.408219.1053

Pulsed high intensity laser versus extracorporeal shockwave therapy on hypertrophic scar post burn

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ department of surgery ,faculty of physical therapy , cairo university

² Lecturer of physical therapy for surgery , faculty of physical therapy , cairo university

³ Professor of plastic reconstructive surgery , faculty of medicine , zagazig university

⁴ professor of physical therapy for surgery ,faculty of physical therapy , cairo university

10.21608/ejptr.2025.408219.1053

Abstract

Background: Hypertrophic scars (HS) are a frequent consequence following burns, characterized by excessive fibrosis and disordered collagen production. They often cause both physical and psychological distress for patients, complicating the recovery process. Various therapies, including Pulsed High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), have been explored for their effectiveness in treating HS. Purpose: To compare the therapeutic effectiveness of Pulsed HILT and ESWT on hypertrophic scars post-burn, assessing both objective scar characteristics and patient outcomes. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients, aged 20 to 40 years, with hypertrophic scars following burn injuries, were allocated into two groups at random. Group A (n = 30) received pulsed HILT, while Group B (n = 30) received ESWT, both combined with traditional physiotherapy (deep friction massage and stretching exercises) for six weeks. The primary evaluative variables included the Modified Vancouver Scar Scale (MVSS) and scar pliability. Statistical analyses included paired and unpaired t-tests for between-group comparisons. Results: The two groups indicated significant improvements in MVSS and scar pliability after treatment (p < 0.05). Group B (ESWT) showed a greater reduction in MVSS (28.05%) and a more significant improvement in pliability (30.81%) compared to Group A (11.61% reduction in MVSS and 12.45% improvement in pliability). A significant variation was detected across groups post-treatment (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Both Pulsed HILT and ESWT are effective treatments for hypertrophic scars post-burn. However, ESWT demonstrated superior results in reducing scar severity and improving pliability. So, ESWT may be recommended as better effective therapy for managing post-burn hypertrophic scars compared to pulsed HILT.

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