What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively examined 37 hips in 25 patients with early-stage femoral head avascular necrosis (Ficat Stage 1 to 2) who received 30 sessions of HBOT at 2.4 ATA for 90 minutes, measuring lesion size by MRI before and 2 months after treatment.
What They Found
Lesion size decreased significantly in both right hips (from 29.87 to 12.39 cubic centimeters, p<0.001) and left hips (from 28.84 to 21.81 cubic centimeters, p<0.001) after HBOT. Without treatment, femoral head collapse occurs in over 40% of cases within 5 years.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Avascular necrosis of the hip is a painful condition that often leads to total hip replacement. This study suggests HBOT can significantly reduce lesion size in early-stage disease, potentially delaying or preventing surgery. Canadians diagnosed with early avascular necrosis should ask their orthopedic surgeon about HBOT as a non-surgical option.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This retrospective study lacks a control group; MRI lesion size reduction does not automatically confirm prevention of femoral head collapse.