The Role of Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy in the Management of Burn Scars

May 11, 2026 updated by: University of Manitoba
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects (good or bad) of pulsed dye laser treatment in burn scar height, texture, redness and pliability in acute burn injury.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

While the literature tends to support the use of laser therapy in the management of burn scars, there is a definite lack of appropriately powered, randomized controlled trials. Laser therapy can be quite expensive when compared to other treatment modalities for burn scars, and while promising, its true usefulness has yet to be conclusively demonstrated. For this reason, our research group is proposing the commencement of two randomized controlled trial pilot studies assessing the effects of pulsed dye laser (PDL) on burn scars. The objectives of this project will be to determine the effectiveness of pulsed dye laser therapy on burn scar vascularity, pliability, height and texture. It has been hypothesized that the PDL works on acute injury to decrease scar formation, and the fractional laser works on scar that is quiescent to promote remodelling. Therefore the investigators are proposing to study both acute injury and late burn scars. This project will compare the effects of each laser type, and will either help support or refute the assertion that laser therapy can be used to improve burn scars.

Objectives:

To determine the benefit of pulsed dye laser treatment in improving burn scar height, texture, vascularity and pliability in acute burn injury.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

6

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Manitoba
      • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3A 1R9
        • Recruiting
        • University of Manitoba
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Sarvesh Logsetty, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • burn scar
  • living in Winnipeg
  • scar age one to 6 months
  • Fitzpatrick I-III skin type

Exclusion Criteria:

  • open wound
  • active infection
  • previous scar treatment with steroid injection or interferon
  • established disposition towards keloid scarring

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Proximal
part of scar proximal to heart
Procedure: pulsed dye laser
laser energy
Active Comparator: Distal
part of scar distal to heart
Procedure: pulsed dye laser
laser energy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Scar Characteristics
Time Frame: six months
Examine characteristics of scar
six months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Manitoba

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: S Logsetty, MD, University of Manitoba

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

November 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 5, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 7, 2011

First Posted (Estimated)

December 8, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 11, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • B2011: 074

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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