What Researchers Did
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) in the shoulder, hip, and knee joints of 12 hyperbaric-chamber inside attendants.
What They Found
The 12 inside attendants (mean age 29 years) had a mean employment duration of 3.8 years and a mean of 198 hyperbaric exposures. Importantly, none of the attendants had a history of decompression sickness, and their MRIs showed no bone lesions consistent with dysbaric osteonecrosis.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
While this study focused on staff, the findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen treatment environments may not pose a significant risk of dysbaric osteonecrosis for those with repeated exposure. This could reassure Canadian patients that the medical staff accompanying them in hyperbaric chambers are not experiencing this specific occupational hazard.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A key limitation of this study is its small sample size of only 12 inside attendants, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.