This study is particularly relevant for the elderly population, as osteoporosis is a common condition that significantly impacts their mobility and quality of life. The results suggest that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy may promote bone regeneration and improve osteogenic activity in elderly patients, especially those with normal or osteopenic bone density. If validated through further research, these findings could lead to new treatment options for preventing fractures and enhancing bone healing, thereby improving health outcomes and independence among senior citizens in today’s society. <view study> Read Less

PRP is a form of regenerative medicine that uses a patient's own blood to promote healing and can be used to treat a variety of conditions including orthopedic injuries (ie, muscle, tendon, bone, ligament, cartilage). Researchers of this study wanted to evaluate the addition of hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) with PRP therapy to determine the outcome for fracture healing. This was an animal study that used a 2-week preconditioning HBOT protocol before standard PRP (HBOP). This 2 week HBOT protocol consisted of 10 total sessions at 3.0 ATA, administered in three, 20 minute sessions with two 5-minute air breaks (60 total minutes at pressure). Upon blood collection, researchers noted that HBOP produced significantly higher growth factors compared to PRP alone. In addition, bone repair was accelerated and repaired both quicker and stronger. Furthermore, they concluded "HBOP enhances the biological activity of PRP and accelerates bone healing in a closed femur fracture model in rats. This study highlights the regenerative potential of PRP when preconditioned with hyperbaric oxygen for use in bone fracture therapy" <view study> Read Less

Rotator cuff injures (of the shoulder) can be very difficult to treat and can cause significant limitations in the range of motion for the affected shoulder, particularly in the elderly that are at higher risk to this kind of injury. For professional athletes, an injury like this can slow down their time to 'return to play' but more importantly can limit their performance  and put them at a higher risk for re-tearing the same injured area  (as the repair tissue is not as strong, or tensile, as the original tissue before). Since hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has both  been shown to both  speed up and increase the strength (tensile) of  the healing process for these kinds of injuries, researches in this study wanted to further explore (and document) these benefits,  particularly in relation to the  tendon-bone interface healing. Even thought this study was performed on animals (Rabbit study), it was only a 5 day study at 2.0 ATA (120 minutes each session). "The results indicate that hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly enhances vascularization at the interface between the shoulder cuff and tendon-bone, promotes collagen fiber regeneration in the tendon, improves the tensile strength of the tendon-bone complex, and does not have a significant effect on biomechanical stability." This study is consistent with all research studies showing "QUICKER and STRONGER" tissue repair from the simple addition of HBOT <view study> Read Less

Osteonecrosis is one of the 14 medically-approved conditions for using hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hospitals and medical centers will typically treat this condition with daily sessions at 2.4 to 2.5 ATA. These higher pressures (above 2.0 ATA) can give rise to a greater incidence of complications, including oxygen toxicity. Bearing this in mind, the standard protocol remains 2.4 ATA due to it's effectiveness. In this case report, a 36 year old female was not able to pressurize to these higher depths and instead could only get to 1.6 ATA. She continued daily sessions at 1.6 ATA and after 20 sessions, her symptoms were relived significantly. After 50 sessions, her symptoms were relived almost completely. Both CT and MRI imaging confirmed this successful intervention. This publications should give rise to more research on pressure protocols <view study> Read Less

Bone loss is a common problem seen in the aging population, mainly due to disuse. This is also a seen in astronauts, patients that are on extended bed rests, and in people leading a sedentary lifestyle. Disuse-induced Bone Loss is can lead to osteoporosis and higher risks of bone fractures. When bones are more frequently subjected to mechanical loads (i.e. weight-bearing exercise), bones adapt by increasing in bone mass. The opposite occurs when the bones are not regularly exposed to mechanical loads leading to a loss of bone mass and increased risk of fracture. In this study, a 10 day course of mild hyperbaric therapy (1.3 ATA) was shown to protect and counter disuse-induced bone loss while helping to enhance new bone formation. <view study> Read Less