What Researchers Did
Researchers measured the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on transmucosal oxygen tension in irradiated human oral mucosa in ten patients with mandibular osteoradionecrosis.
What They Found
During hyperbaric oxygen treatment, transmucosal oxygen tension significantly increased after five dives (P < .05). After 30 dives, the mean oxygen tension rose from 50% to 86% of the level found in normal healthy gingiva.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients suffering from post-radiation mucosal and bone necrosis may experience improved tissue oxygenation with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This treatment could potentially aid in the healing of subischemic tissues affected by radiation.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian researchers or patients.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size of ten patients, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.