Advancements with Photobiomodulation in Post-Burn Management/Rehabilitation: A Comparative Study on Multiwave Locked System (MLS) LASER Therapy Outcomes

Background: Severe burn injuries are associated with prolonged consequent wound healing, substantial symptoms burden, and delayed, sometimes incomplete, functional recovery. Photobiomodulation using Multiwave Locked System (MLS) LASER therapy has been proposed as an adjunctive intervention to support tissue repair and thereby improve rehabilitation outcomes, but related clinical evidence in burn populations remains limited. Materials and Methods: This comparative study included 65 patients with severe burn injuries, of whom 35 were prospectively treated with adjunctive MLS LASER therapy, in addition to standard care, and 30 retrospectively identified patients, who received standard care alone, served as controls. The primary outcome was the time until complete epithelialization, while secondary outcomes included: reduction in wound surface, pain intensity, pruritus severity, scar quality, and functional improvements. Assessments were performed at baseline and after a standardized follow-up period of up to 20 days. Results: Patients treated with MLS LASER therapy achieved complete epithelialization significantly earlier than controls (median 40 vs. 73 days, p < 0.001) and demonstrated greater wound area reduction (median 434 vs. 137 cm2, p = 0.0012). In multivariable analyses adjusted for burn extent, burn depth, age, and diabetes mellitus, considered as factors worsening evolution, MLS LASER therapy remained independently associated with shorter time to epithelialization and greater reduction in wound dimension. Significant improvements favoring the MLS group were also observed regarding pain, pruritus, scar quality, and functional outcomes, all assessed using specific evaluation tools (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Adjunctive MLS LASER therapy appears to be associated with improved wound healing dynamics and enhanced rehabilitation outcomes in patients with severe burn injuries. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the study limitations, including the non-randomized design and relatively small sample size. MLS LASER therapy may represent a promising adjunctive option in the conservative management of burn injuries; however, further prospective randomized studies are required to confirm these results and to define optimal treatment protocols.