What Researchers Did
Clinicians reported the case of a 47-year-old military member with refractory osteomyelitis of the right ankle following an open fracture from a skydiving accident, who had failed more than three rounds of combined surgical and antibiotic treatment over 9 months before receiving adjunctive HBOT.
What They Found
The infection resolved after HBOT was added to the treatment plan, following years of failure with surgery and antibiotics alone. The authors note HBOT is underutilized for refractory osteomyelitis due to limited high-quality evidence and limited facility availability.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
Single case report; outcomes from one patient cannot be used to predict the population-level efficacy of HBOT for refractory osteomyelitis.