What Researchers Did
Researchers combined data from two randomized, controlled multicentre trials to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN).
What They Found
Researchers found that 70% (21/30) of patients receiving surgery plus hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) healed, compared to 51% (18/35) of those receiving surgery alone.
HBO was associated with an increased chance of healing and improved xerostomia, unstimulated whole salivary flow rate, and dysphagia, although no statistically significant difference was reached between groups due to insufficient recruitment.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with mandibular osteoradionecrosis requiring surgery, hyperbaric oxygen treatment may offer a potential benefit in healing and symptom improvement, such as reduced dry mouth and dysphagia.
However, due to the study's limitations, further research is needed to confirm these findings and establish clear clinical guidelines for its use.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or with Canadian participants.
Study Limitations
A primary limitation of this study was insufficient patient recruitment, which prevented the detection of statistically significant differences between treatment groups.