Efficacy of Larval Therapy for Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Study Selection
3.2. Study Characteristics
3.3. Complete Debridement
3.4. Secondary Outcomes
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Author Year | Country | Wound Type | Mean Age (Years) | Total (N) | Experimental (n) | Control (n) | Larval Application | Outcomes | Follow-Up Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dumville et al., 2009 [17] | United Kingdom | VLU and MLU | 74 | 267 | Direct LT (94), indirect LT (86) | Hydrogel (87) | Left on for 3–4 days | a, b, c, d, and e | 6 to 12 months |
Gaffari et al., 2023 [18] | Iran | FTB | 48 | 31 | Direct LT (15) | Routine—SD, silver dressings, antibiotics, and offloading (16) | 3–4 times/week (5–10 larvae/cm2) | a, b, c, d, and f | 6 days |
Mudge et al., 2014 [20] | United Kingdom | VLU and MLU | 72 | 88 | Indirect LT (46) | Hydrogel (42) | N/A | a and b | 28 to 35 days |
Davies et al., 2015 [16] | United Kingdom | VLU | 77 | 40 | Indirect LT + 4LB (20) | 4LB (20) | N/A | a, c, and e | 12 weeks |
Nezakati et al., 2020 [21] | Iran | DFU and Bedsore | 55 | 90 | Direct LT + routine (45) | Routine— SD, wet dressing, nutrition support, and antibiotics (45) | 2 times/week (8–10 larvae/cm2) | c and d | 3 weeks |
Malekian et al., 2019 [19] | Iran | DFU | 61 | 50 | Direct LT + routine (25) | Routine— antibiotics, SD, and offloading (25) | Every 2 days (5–7 larvae/cm2) | d | 4 days |
Opletalova et al., [22] 2012 | France | VLU | 73 | 119 | Indirect LT (58) | Routine—SD, hydrogel/hydrocolloid or alginate/fiber-based (61) | 2 times/week (80 larvae/bag) | b, d, e, and g | 8, 15, and 30 days |
Cowan 2014 [15] | United States | VLU, DFU, and other | 65 | 45 | Indirect LT (23) | SD (22) | Every 4 days | b and e | 8 days |
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Lam, T.; Beraja, G.E.; Lev-Tov, H. Efficacy of Larval Therapy for Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 315. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14020315
Lam T, Beraja GE, Lev-Tov H. Efficacy of Larval Therapy for Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(2):315. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14020315
Chicago/Turabian StyleLam, Thao, Gabriela E. Beraja, and Hadar Lev-Tov. 2025. "Efficacy of Larval Therapy for Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 2: 315. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14020315
APA StyleLam, T., Beraja, G. E., & Lev-Tov, H. (2025). Efficacy of Larval Therapy for Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(2), 315. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14020315