Emerging Applications of Photodynamic and Sonodynamic Therapies in Orthopedic Disorders: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Future Directions.

Abstract

As non-invasive targeted therapeutic modalities, photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) have demonstrated significant clinical potential in orthopedic disorders management. PDT generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) through photosensitizer activation under specific light wavelengths, selectively inducing apoptosis in pathological cells. SDT employs sonosensitizers activated by low-intensity ultrasound to produce ROS while offering enhanced depth of tissue penetration. Current advancements reveal clinical efficacy in bone tumor ablation, management of osteomyelitic infections, intervention for degenerative bone diseases, and bone regeneration applications. However, clinical translation faces three principal challenges: i) PDT's photonic penetration constraints coupled with tumor tissue hypoxia; ii) SDT efficacy limitations from inhomogeneous energy dispersion in therapeutic acoustic fields and challenges in precise modulation of inertial cavitation thresholds; iii) Persistent standardization deficits in longitudinal biosafety assessment frameworks and treatment dosimetry. This review systematically elucidates molecular mechanisms and targeted regulatory pathways of PDT/SDT for orthopedic pathologies, critically evaluates therapeutic efficacy based on preclinical and clinical evidence, and proposes translational strategies focusing on novel sensitizer development, combination therapeutic strategies, and intelligent platform technologies. Future investigations should prioritize sensitizer structural optimization, establishment of standardized treatment protocols, and integration of multimodal image-guided systems to facilitate comprehensive clinical translation of PDT/SDT in precision orthopedics.