What Researchers Did
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) for mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) in four patients, monitoring treatment outcomes with clinical, radiological, and thermographic examinations.
What They Found
Clinical examination showed osteoradionecrosis remission in all 4 patients after 30 hyperbaric oxygen exposures. Follow-up thermograms after 35-60 exposures revealed increased warming in the affected area, indicating improved blood supply and metabolism. In one case, even 5 sessions of HBO therapy reduced acute inflammation, as shown by local cooling on thermography.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be a beneficial adjunctive treatment for Canadian patients suffering from severe mandibular osteoradionecrosis. Thermography may offer a non-invasive way to monitor treatment progress and tissue healing in these patients.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A primary limitation of this study is its very small sample size of only four patients.