Beneficial Effects of Photobiomodulation Therapy on Mandibular Movements in the Surgical Treatment of Mandibular Fractures: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND

The surgical treatment of mandibular fractures aims to improve patient rehabilitation and function. Complications, such as limitations in mandibular movements, can be observed during the postoperative period. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) after surgical treatment of mandibular fractures with longitudinal observation of mandibular movements as the outcome.

METHODS

In this randomized clinical trial, we compared a PBMT group (n = 18) with a control group (n = 15) of patients with mandibular fractures who underwent surgical intervention. The sessions were performed 24 hours after the surgical procedure, and repeated weekly for 5 weeks after hospital discharge. Maximum opening, laterality sum, and maximal protrusion were measured during the same periods in both groups. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 (IBM Software Group) was used for statistical analyses. The level of significance was set at P≤0.050.

RESULTS

There was a progressive increase in mandibular movements in both groups, and significantly greater values, particularly in terms of mouth opening and protrusion, were observed in the PBMT group. In addition, when the fracture location was considered, a progressive increase in mouth opening was observed in most locations, whereas improvements were noted in the lateral movements of patients with condylar fractures. In addition, significant improvements in mouth opening were observed with both the intraoral and extraoral approaches.

CONCLUSION

The PBMT resulted in better mandibular movement recovery after surgical treatment, mainly in terms of mouth opening, irrespective of surgical access, with a limited influence of the fracture location.