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

“Bone loss and subsequent repair are biological processes related to many pathological conditions affecting bones, including fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteomyelitis, osteonecrosis, and tumor. HBOT could have a promising future as an adjunctive therapeutic approach for treating many challenges cases of inflammation-related bone loss.” <view study> Read Less

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is very well known for its positive effects in early bone healing and more importantly on its promotion of new bone growth. Now it is being more commonly used alongside dental procedures, including implants. For an implant to be successful, it ideally needs to have bone grow around it on all sides. This study was able to demonstrate that the addition of hyperbaric therapy improved bone growth following implantation. One of the key clinical benefits that was observed was that the healing time around the implants was significantly reduced. Overall, it may be a very good idea to utilize the regenerative benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for patients undergoing dental surgery, particularly for those who are at greater risk for complications or failures <view study> Read Less

Poor Bone healing is one of the many associated health concerns for diabetics, who are known to have a reduced ability to form bone and have poor bone quality, thus influencing bone healing. Since hyperbaric oxygen has been used for a variety of diabetic-related conditions including poor wound healing, researchers in this study decided to observe the bone healing effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy over a short 7 day duration. The results showed favorable improvements in bone regeneration and these findings were subsequently published in this journal <view study> Read Less