What Researchers Did
Doctors tested a combined treatment of shockwave therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, and a bone-strengthening drug in four SARS patients whose hip bones were dying from lack of blood supply.
What They Found
This was a small case series of four patients (eight hips) followed for 4 years, and pain scores and hip function scores improved significantly in all cases (p less than 0.001). Each hip received a single session of shockwave therapy, and patients also received 100 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen and one year of oral alendronate. All four patients returned to work as healthcare providers, and none needed hip replacement surgery during the follow-up period. MRI scans showed a trend toward less bone marrow swelling and smaller lesion size, but the stage of the disease did not change.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For patients with SARS-related hip bone death, this combined therapy showed promising short-term results in delaying disease progression, based on this small four-patient study. The abstract does not report whether these benefits continued beyond the 4-year follow-up, and MRI findings showed no change in disease stage despite the symptom improvements. Patients considering this combination should discuss with their doctor whether it fits their specific situation, since this evidence comes from a very small group.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This study included only four patients (eight hips) with no comparison group, so the results cannot show whether the combination therapy caused the improvement or whether outcomes would hold up in a larger population.