ReviewCureus2025
Cutaneous Laser Therapy for Residual Limb Skin Pathology: A Narrative Review Bridging Dermatologic Laser Research With Clinical Perspectives and Considerations for Multidisciplinary Care Teams.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Cutaneous laser therapies are widely employed in dermatology for hair removal, scar remodeling, and skin rejuvenation, yet their use in managing skin conditions specific to residual limbs after amputation remains underexplored. Individuals with limb loss frequently experience skin pathology such as folliculitis, hyperkeratosis, scar contracture, chronic wounds, and volume instability, which can significantly impair prosthetic fit, function, and quality of life. This narrative review synthesizes existing dermatologic laser applications and clinical experience to explore their potential adaptation for residual limb care. Cutaneous lasers offer minimally invasive options with favorable safety profiles to address chronic wounds, contracted scars, inflammatory skin disorders, and follicular pathologies common in this population. Treatment benefits may include improved scar remodeling, enhanced wound healing, reduction of contractures, and facilitation of medication delivery, all contributing to better prosthetic compatibility and patient outcomes. While side effects such as pain and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur, laser procedures are generally well tolerated. Despite a growing population of persons with amputation in the United States and an increasing incidence due to advances in trauma care, laser therapy remains an underutilized tool in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of persons with limb loss. This review highlights the clinical rationale, therapeutic potential, practical considerations, and precautions relevant to laser use on residual limbs, emphasizing the need for greater awareness among healthcare providers. Given the limited direct research in this field, extrapolation from broader dermatologic literature supports laser therapy as a promising adjunct to improve skin health and function in persons with amputation. Further studies are warranted to establish standardized protocols and optimize outcomes specific to residual limbs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.