What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively reviewed the files of 68 patients with 78 symptomatic joints affected by Steinberg stage I and II femoral head osteonecrosis who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What They Found
Post-treatment, 88% of joints showed improvement, and at a mean follow-up of 11.1 years, 93% of the joints survived. The mean Harris Hip Score significantly improved from 21 to 81 (P<.0001), and both physical and mental components of the SF-12 also showed significant improvements (P<.0001).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with early-stage femoral head osteonecrosis, hyperbaric oxygen therapy may offer a non-surgical option to preserve joint function and reduce pain. This treatment could potentially improve long-term hip function and quality of life, delaying or avoiding the need for more invasive procedures.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted outside of Canada.
Study Limitations
The study's retrospective design and the lack of a control group limit the ability to definitively attribute improvements solely to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.