The Effectiveness of Ozone Therapy in Chronic Osteomyelitis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Treatment of chronic osteomyelitis is complex and includes long-term management with antibiotics and debridement. Inadequate blood supply, underlying diseases, and deep involvement of the infected area can cause classic treatments to fail and lead to serious complications, such as limb amputation. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the use of ozone therapy for infectious diseases. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of ozone therapy on chronic osteomyelitis. Methods: Sixty patients with chronic osteomyelitis were divided into two homogenized groups: ozone therapy and control. Ozone therapy at a concentration of 30 mg/mL was performed daily by ozone bagging, minor autohemotherapy, and ozone saline injection into the bone. Data were analyzed to determine recovery and erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Results: The recovery rate was 73.33% in the control group versus 86.66% in the ozone group (P = 0.31). No significant difference was found between the groups regarding the recovery rate (P = 0.86). However, considering the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, the results were significantly superior in the ozone group (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: These findings indicate that ozone therapy, as a promising complementary treatment, can be applied in chronic osteomyelitis management.