Oxygen-ozone Mixture Research Articles

Systemic Ozone Therapy May Improve the Perception of Quality of Life: Ozonized Glucose Solution 5% Extends Reach to Patients Ineligible for Blood Infusion.

Ozone therapy is a complementary treatment that has gained popularity due to its safety and wide range of applications. Systemic ozone therapy involves withdrawing 100 to 200 ml of blood, treating it with an oxygen-ozone mixture, and then reinfusing it. This process requires large-caliber venous access, which can be a limitation. To overcomethis, alternative administration methods have been explored, including the use of ozonized solutions.The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical effects of systemic ozone therapy on the perception of quality of life and to analyze the outcomes of different administration methods. Three groups of patients were treated: one group received classical systemic ozone therapy, another received ozone therapy via intravenous infusion of a 5% glucose solution, and the third group alternated between the two methods. The results showed an improvement in perceived quality of life in all groups, regardless of the method used.Thus, systemic ozone therapy showed efficacy in improving the perception of quality of life in our group. Moreover, intravenous infusion of a 5% glucose solution has made it possible to treat patients who could not be treated with the classical method, achieving similar results.

Reduction of MRONJ risk after exodontia by virtue of ozone infiltration: A randomized clinical trial.

Exodontia is commonly considered as a risk factor for the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in individuals exposed to bone modifying agents. This study was aimed at assessing the efficiency and safety of a gaseous oxygen-ozone mixture as an adjuvant to a standard exodontia to reduce the risk of MRONJ development. A randomized, open-label, phase II, single-center clinical trial involving 117 patients at risk of MRONJ was conducted. The study protocol tested injections of an oxygen-ozone mixture in the post-extraction site. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: oxygen-ozone therapy, and standard tooth extraction protocol. Post-extraction wound healing was assessed using the Inflammatory Proliferative Remodeling (IPR) Wound Healing Scale. The oxygen-ozone therapy group exhibited a significant improvement in wound healing post-extraction during the inflammatory and proliferative phases, as indicated by the IPR scale scores at 3-5 days (p = 0.006) and 14 days (p < 0.001) respectively. Oxygen-ozone therapy shows promise in improving post-extraction healing in patients at risk of MRONJ. Future studies with larger sample sizes and multicenter collaborations are recommended to confirm the validity of these findings and explore the long-term efficacy of ozone therapy.

The anatomy of pain relief: Lumbar oxygen-ozone epidural infiltrations for cervicobrachialgia

Objective: This study investigates the efficacy and safety of epidural infiltration with drugs and an oxygen-ozone mixture for treating cervicobrachialgia due to disc-radicular conflict or on a degenerative basis, utilizing both retrospective analysis and direct visualization techniques. Methods: A retrospective study involving 10 patients treated with epidural infiltrations of an oxygen-ozone mixture and cortisone was conducted. The procedures were performed under CT guidance to ensure precise delivery and to monitor the diffusion of the injected substances. Pain levels were assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and treatment efficacy was evaluated based on symptom relief and reduction in NSAID intake. Results: Significant pain reduction was observed post-treatment, with median NRS scores decreasing from 9 (baseline) to 2 (follow-up), and a significant decrease in on-demand NSAID intake. Only one minor complication of a headache was reported. The study also demonstrated the ability of ozone to diffuse through the epidural adipose tissue, potentially enhancing treatment efficacy. Conclusion: The combined use of an oxygen-ozone mixture and cortisone for epidural infiltration is an effective and safe treatment for cervicobrachialgia, offering significant pain relief and minimizing the risk associated with traditional epidural injections. This technique presents a viable non-surgical option for patients suffering from disc-radicular conflict or degenerative conditions.

Ozonucleolysis in cervical radiculopathy – Pakistan experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE&#x0D; Direct injection of Oxygen-Ozone in the cervical discs has proved to be the effective alternative to surgery in patients with cervical disc herniation in many countries around the world. We report our experience with ozonucleolysis with patients effected by pain incervical region (brachialgia)due to disc herniation including post-operative recurrence or disc prolapse.&#x0D; &#x0D; METHODS&#x0D; 6000 patients were treated with single session of Oxygen-Ozone therapy from 2005-2020. All the patients had CT or MRI evidence of cervical disc prolapse with clinical signs of cervical nerve root compression. The procedure was performed under angiofluoroscopy using 22/23 G spinal needle without anesthesia. All the patients received intradiscal injection n of Oxygen-Ozone mixture at Ozone concentration of 30 µgm/ml. Among these patients 4500 were males and 1500 were females between the ages of 20-70 years. Therapeutic outcome was assessed 8 week after treatment by using modified MacNab method.&#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS&#x0D; A satisfactory therapeutic outcome was obtained. 60% of the patients showed complete recovery with resolution of symptoms. 20% of the patients complained of occasional episodic neck pain and arms pain with no limitation of occupational activity. 5% of cases showed some improvement. 5% of cases had insufficient or noimprovement and went for surgery. 10% of cases never turned up after the first visit.&#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION&#x0D; Intradiscal injection of Ozone for herniated cervical disc has revolutionized percutaneous approach to nerve root diseases making it safer, cheaper and easier to repeat than treatments currently in use.

Diabetic foot treatment using oxygen-ozone therapy.

Diabetic, arteriopathic and/or neuropathic foot, either ulcerated or not, is a major problem for any health system, requiring significant allocations of funds. The diabetic patient often gets complications, through an inadequate lifestyle or by giving up treatment, most often due to polypragmasia. Oxygen-ozone treatment has remarkable effects in patients with diabetic foot (DFN or DFU).&#x0D; A retrospective study of 50 patients with type 2 diabetes (25 with DFU and 25 with DFN), treated with oxygenozone mixture for a minimum duration of 3 months, showed the positive effect of treatment with accelerated wound healing, 70% of them having a skin lesion for more than one year. Decreased glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure regulation and increased distal skin sensitivity were added to the healing of skin lesions, using only oxygen-ozone therapy (systemic and local) combining personalized diet, physical activity and the correction of vitamin D levels. Most patients avoided amputation or it was minimal, only in the case of necrotic tissues without vascularization.&#x0D; The results obtained recommend the use of oxygen-ozone therapy, especially in the case of patients proposed for amputation, but especially in the prevention of the dreaded complications of diabetes.

Ozone Infiltration for Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Therapy: A Case Series.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a serious adverse reaction, mainly due to bone-modifying agents (BMA), and it is a potentially painful and debilitating condition. To date, the literature has reported a 90% rate of successful outcomes for MRONJ patients undergoing surgical treatment. Particularly for patients with advanced disease stages who are unsuitable for surgery, prolonged medical treatment is required, with a consequent risk of the overuse of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency and safety of ozone, via oral mucosal infiltrations, in seven cancer patients with MRONJ, who are not eligible for surgery. The protocol (OZOPROMAF) consists of intratissue injections of an oxygen ozone (O2O3) mixture, which is applied until formation of a sequestrum and clinical healing. Follow-up was scheduled to confirm the healing of MRONJ and radiological evaluations by CBCT were planned. In order to assess the level of pain, a questionnaire including the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain (NRS Pain) was administered on the first visit, one day after treatment, and one week after treatment. After an application of OZOPROMAF, all patients reported discomfort for some hours, probably due to soft tissue pressure around the infiltration site. Thereafter, the discomfort subsided within 6–8 h. Complete mucosal healing of MRONJ occurred within a number of cycles ranging from 7 to 16. Complete resolution with an improvement in bone condition was observed in all patients. The MRONJ lesions of all patients healed after 18–24 months. The authors of this study contend that these preliminary results suggest the efficiency and safety of the O2O3 mixture. However, further research is required to confirm the efficacy of the O2O3 mixtures in MRONJ treatment, at least for patients who are unsuitable for surgery.

Feasibility of Ultrasound-Guided Peritoneal Perfusion with Ozone in the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Bicenter Retrospective Analysis

Numerous therapies have been developed for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Oxygen-ozone therapy is a new method for the treatment of CPP. This article evaluated the feasibility of ultrasound-guided peritoneal perfusion with ozone in patients with CPP. This is a bicenter retrospective study. The study was conducted at 2 pain centers of a university hospital. The medical records of patients with CPP (n = 60) from March 2016 until October 2018 were collected and reviewed. Group A contained 19 patients who were treated with a 1500 mcg dose of ozonated water (10 mcg/mL concentration and 150 mL volume), group B contained 23 patients using the same dose of ozonated water but a 15 mcg/mL concentration and 100 mL volume. Group C included 18 patients using a similar ozone dose but delivered in an oxygen-ozone mixture (15 mcg/mL concentration and 100 mL volume oxygen-ozone mixture). Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for pain of the 3 groups were compared at pretreatment, posttreatment, 1, 3, and 6 months posttreatment. The injection pain was evaluated using a 4-point verbal rating scale. Quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression were assessed at pretreatment and at 6 months posttreatment. The VAS scores of the 3 groups decreased over time following treatment. Group A showed much higher pain scores compared with groups B and C at 1, 3, and 6 months posttreatment. However, the injection pain for groups B and C was higher than group A, but there was no difference seen between group B and C. At 6 months posttreatment, the QoL for all patients improved compared with pretreatment, whereas the anxiety and depression did not demonstrate differences. The main limitations of this study are the retrospective study design, limited case number, and short follow-up period. Ultrasound-guided peritoneal perfusion with ozone is a feasible therapy for patients with CPP.

Chemonucleolysis for disc herniation: An updated review of the literature

Herniated intervertebral disc is one of the common causes of neck/low back pain and/or neuralgia. The vast majority of such symptoms improve with conservative treatments that include rest, medications, and physical therapy. In case of failure, many minimally invasive disc techniques have been emergedas alternative optionsto surgical treatments, to avoid their potential complications and possiblytheir suboptimal results. Chemonucleolysis is one of the minimally invasive disc decompression techniques thatare based on the intradiscal injection of chemonucleolytic agents causing dehydration of the disc matrix, resulting into a reduction of the intradiscal pressure and disc voulme, and hence, alleviation of the nerve root compression. These chemonucleolytic materials include chymopapain, collagenase, oxygen-ozone mixture,radio-opaque jellified ethanol “Discogel, chondroitinasesulphateABC, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). Nowadays, chemonucleolysis using the oxygen-ozone mixture and radiopaque gelified ethanol have gathered the most support for use in clinical practice.This article aims to clarify the mechanisms of action, selection criteria, procedural technique, outcome assessment, efficacy, and safety of a variety of intradiscalchemonucleolytictherapiesused for the treatment of herniated discs.

Fundamentals of the Use of Ozone Therapy in the Treatment of Aesthetic Disorders: A Review

Considering the great interest of many professionals in the foundation that guides the effective use of ozone therapy in the treatment of aesthetic disorders, this study aims to define the physiological and practical aspects of using the oxygen-ozone mixture to solve aesthetic problems. Exploratory research was carried out, presented in a narrative review, to highlight the action of ozone therapy in the treatment of aesthetic affections. The review explored scientific articles, books, theses, and dissertations published and available in the following databases: MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PubMed (National Library of Medicine), SCIELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and LILACS (Latin Literature American and the Caribbean in Health Sciences). In addition, elements that characterize the authors’ clinical experience on ozone therapy in various aesthetic treatment protocols were added. We found several reports in the literature that justify the use of ozone and its different therapeutic modalities in various aesthetic affections, mainly in the treatment of localized fat, cellulite, rejuvenation, skin tissue repair, acne, dyschromia, and others. Through its various therapeutic modalities, we conclude that ozone therapy has added a lot to aesthetic procedures, mainly for its effective supporting action or as the main agent of critical physiological changes to enhance clinical results when treating aesthetic conditions.

Ozone therapy for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: Preliminary report of a prospective case-control study

BackgroundThere is still no specific treatment strategies for COVID-19 other than supportive management. DesignA prospective case-control study determined by admittance to the hospital based on bed availability. ParticipantsEighteen patients with COVID-19 infection (laboratory confirmed) severe pneumonia admitted to hospital between 20th March and 19th April 2020. Patients admitted to the hospital during the study period were assigned to different beds based on bed availability. Depending on the bed the patient was admitted, the treatment was ozone autohemotherapy or standard treatment. Patients in the case group received ozonated blood twice daily starting on the day of admission for a median of four days. Each treatment involved administration of 200 mL autologous whole blood enriched with 200 mL of oxygen-ozone mixture with a 40 μg/mL ozone concentration. Main outcomesThe primary outcome was time from hospital admission to clinical improvement. ResultsNine patients (50%) received ozonated autohemotherapy beginning on the day of admission. Ozonated autohemotherapy was associated with shorter time to clinical improvement (median [IQR]), 7 days [6–10] vs 28 days [8–31], p = 0.04) and better outcomes at 14-days (88.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.01). In risk-adjusted analyses, ozonated autohemotherapy was associated with a shorter mean time to clinical improvement (−11.3 days, p = 0.04, 95% CI –22.25 to −0.42). ConclusionOzonated autohemotherapy was associated with a significantly shorter time to clinical improvement in this prospective case-control study. Given the small sample size and study design, these results require evaluation in larger randomized controlled trials.Clinical trial registration number: NCT04444531.

Oxygen-ozone (O2-O3) immunoceutical therapy for patients with COVID-19. Preliminary evidence reported

ObjectiveThis study evaluated the potential efficacy of a novel approach to treat COVID-19 patients, using an oxygen-ozone (O2-O3) mixture, via a process called Oxygen-Ozone- Immunoceutical Therapy. The methodology met the criteria of a novel, promising approach to treat successfully elderly COVID-19 patients, particularly when hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) Experimental design: We investigated the therapeutic effect of 4 cycles of O2-O3 in 50 hospitalized COVID-19 subjects suffering from acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), aged more than 60 years, all males and undergoing non invasive mechanical ventilation in ICUs. ResultsFollowing O2-O3 treatment a significant improvement in inflammation and oxygenation indexes occurred rapidly and within the first 9 days after the treatment, despite the expected 14–20 days. A significant reduction of inflammatory and thromboembolic markers (CRP, IL-6, D-dimer) was observed. Furthermore, amelioration in the major respiratory indexes, such as respiratory and gas exchange markers (SatO2%, PaO2/FiO2 ratio), was reported. ConclusionOur results show that O2-O3 treatment would be a promising therapy for COVID-19 patients. It leads patients to a fast recovery from ARDS via the improvement of major respiratory indexes and blood gas parameters, following a relatively short time of dispensed forced ventilation (about one to two weeks). This study may encourage the scientific community to further investigate and evaluate the proposed method for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Analgetic effect of ozone therapy: myths of reality?

Introduction: Administration of an oxygen-ozone mixture is one of the innovative techniques used in single-drug or complex therapeutic schemes for treatment of many degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and related neurological complications. Aim: The aim was to determine the mechanisms of physiological action of the oxygen-ozone mixture in order to substantiate its efficacy for treatment of chronic pain syndrome with underlying degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Material and methods: The article covers biochemical and pathomorphological studies that explain the mechanism of the pain syndrome and the potential effect of the ozone therapy. Results and discussion: The treatment schemes and benefits of different routes of ozone administration (intramuscularly, intravenously, intradiscally and intraarticularly) were analyzed. Diverse research data demonstrated influence on the causes of chronic pain, pathophysiological phases, and possible complications. The prospects of further studies for development of the most effective techniques for treatment of various pain syndromes were assessed. Conclusions: Ozone therapy is one of the alternative rehabilitation methods with a substantial pain relieving effect. As of today, the possibility of using the oxygen-ozone mixture for treatment of chronic back pain related to intervertebral disk hernia and fibromyalgia has been substantially confirmed.

Disc lesions treated with ozone in Pakistan: experience of 23000 cases [abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Direct injection of Oxygen-Ozone in to the discs has proved to be the effective alternative for surgery in patients with disc herniation in many countries around the world. We report our experience with ozonucleolysis with patients effected by lower backache, sciatica and pain cervical region (brachalgia) due to disc herniation including post operative recurrence or disc prolapse.&#x0D; &#x0D; MATERIAL &amp; METHODS: Twenty-Three Thousand patients were treated with single two multiple sessions of Oxygen Ozone therapy. All the patients had CT or MRI evidence of annulus tear/ disc prolapse with clinical signs of nerve root compression. The procedure was performed under angio fluoroscopy using 22/23 G spinal needle without any form of anesthesia. All the patients received intra discal injection of Oxygen Ozone mixture with and without periganglionic infiltration at a ozone concentration 30 mcgr/mL. Among these patients 14000 were males and 9000 were females between the age of 14-80 years. Therapeutic outcome was assessed 5 months after treatment by using modified MacNab method.&#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: A satisfactory therapeutic outcome was obtained. 55% of the patients showed complete recovery with resolution of symptoms. 20% of the patients complained of occasional episodic pain and with no limitation of occupational activity. 15% of cases showed insufficient improvement. 5% of cases had insufficient improvement and went for surgery. 10% of cases never turned up after the first visit.&#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: Intradiscal with and without periganglionic injection of Ozone for herniated discs has revolutionized percutaneous approach to nerve root diseases making it safer, cheaper and easier to repeat than treatments currently use in Pakistan.

Ozonetherapy for equine laminitis [abstract

PURPOSE: To teach and to demonstrate the efficiency of ozone therapy in horses with chronic laminitis.&#x0D; &#x0D; MATERIAL AND METHODS: Six horses with chronic laminitis were treated with two ozonetherapy techniques. All horses were 4/5 or 5/5 grade lameness (1), showed severe pain in the fore limbs and were no able to move.&#x0D; Use used:&#x0D; - Inyectable distilled water&#x0D; - 14G Catheter needles&#x0D; - 500 ml blood transfusion bags&#x0D; - Venoset&#x0D; - Gloves&#x0D; - 60 ml syringes&#x0D; - 2% Lidocaine&#x0D; - Medicinal oxygen&#x0D; - Ozone generator&#x0D; - 21G butterfly needles&#x0D; 1 Spanish horse and 2 Quarter horses were treated with hyperperfusion technique via cephalic vein injecting 60 ml of distilled water previously ozonized with 85 mcgr/mL of the oxygen-ozone mixture.&#x0D; 1 Thoroughbred, 1 Appaloosa and 1 Quarter horse were treated with the hyperperfusion technique via the cephalic vein and with major autohemotherapy (2,3) extracting 250 ml of blood in a transfusion bag and ozonizing it with 250 ml of the ozone-oxygen mixture with concentration of 23-25 mcgr/mL.&#x0D; 4 horses were treated weekly for 4 sessions (Spanish, 2 Quarter horse, Thoroughbred). Those patients improved between 90 and 95%. The grade of lameness were between 1/5 and 2/5 after treatment.&#x0D; 2 horses (1 Quarter horse and Appaloosa) were treated once, they did not improved as they were not evaluated nor treated with the established protocol.&#x0D; &#x0D; DISCUSSION: Compared to conventional treatments (3), ozonetherapy yielded better results in time and quality of recovery.&#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: Ozonetherapy is the best choice we have developed for chronic laminitis in horses.

Percutaneous ozone nucleolysis for lumbar disc herniation

PurposeAll percutaneous minimally invasive disc treatments are typically indicated to contained disc herniations. Our study’s aim is to evaluate prospectively the efficacy of ozone nucleolysis in the treatment of either contained or uncontained lumbar disc herniations.MethodsFifty-two patients, aged 27–87 years, with symptomatic herniated lumbar discs, without migration, sequestration, or severe degenerative disc changes, who failed conservative treatment, were included in our study. The patients underwent fluoroscopic-guided intradiscal oxygen-ozone mixture injection (5 ml) at a concentration of 27–30 μg/ml and periradicular injection of the same O2-O3 mixture (10 ml), steroid (1 ml), and local anesthetic (1 ml). Clinical outcomes were evaluated, based on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and pain intensity (0–5) scale results, obtained initially and at 2- and 6-month controls. Our results were analyzed by ANOVA and chi-squared (χ2) tests.ResultsOur initial results obtained at 2-month control were promising, indicating a significant decrease in pain disability and intensity in 74% (37) and 76% (38) of the patients respectively, and minimally increased to 76% (38) and 78% (39) at 6-month control (P < 0.001 and CI 99.9%). The mean preprocedure ODI and pain intensity scores were 35 ± 14.36 and 2.38 ± 0.90, respectively, which were reduced to 19.36 ± 13.12 and 1.04 ± 0.92 at 6-month control. Our failure had been mostly related to long symptoms duration of more than 1 year. No complications were recorded.ConclusionOzone nucleolysis is a safe cost-effective minimally invasive technique for treatment of contained and uncontained lumbar disc herniations.

Six-Month Results of Cervical Intradiscal Oxygen-Ozone Mixture Therapy on Patients with Neck Pain: Preliminary Findings

Numerous techniques have been developed for the treatment of disc herniation. Oxygen-ozone (O₂-O₃) mixture therapy is a minimally invasive percutaneous treatment for disc herniation. The aim of the study is to investigate the 6-month efficacy and safety of O₂-O₃ mixture therapy in patients with cervical disc herniation (CDH) and chronic neck pain. This is a cross-sectional, single-center study. The study was conducted from January 2012 to May 2016 on patients visiting Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital's pain clinic. Each patient was evaluated before the procedure (baseline) and at 2 weeks (W2), 6 weeks (W6), and 6 months (M6) after the procedure using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index scores. A total of 44 patients with CDH underwent the same treatment with an O₂-O₃ mixture. Significant pain relief was observed compared with preoperative pain at W2, W6, and M6 according to patient self-evaluation (P = 0.01). The mean VAS score was 7.89 ± 1.13 before the procedure, 4.22 ± 1.62 at W2, 3.03 ± 1.66 at W6, and 2.27 ± 1.25 at the end of M6. No significant complications or side effects were reported during or after the procedure. Our study was conducted retrospectively, which resulted in problems obtaining follow-up data. In addition, this study was performed in a small patient group. Based on our results, intradiscal injection of an O2-O3 mixture treatment showed a beneficial long-term effect. Cervical disc herniation, chemonucleolysis, injection, intradiscal, oxygen-ozone mixture, percutaneous treatment.

OZONE THERAPY IN JOINT PATHOLOGY

AIM: Ozone therapy is minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of various medical problems including osteoarthritis, frozen shoulder etc .We report the treatment on a series of patients affected by joint pathology, treated by injection of oxygen-ozone gas mixture. This is an experience of treating acute and chronic disease of the large joints (knee, shoulder, hip) by intra and peri-articular injections of an oxygen- ozone gas mixture. The patients were assessed before and after treatment. In addition to a resolution of joint pain, patients had a good functional recovery of their daily activities and the treatment was well-tolerated METHODS: Forty – three patients, ages ranging from 32 years through 76 years were treated with the injection of oxygen-ozone mixture. Indications for treatment were hip and knee osteoarthritis, and frozen shoulder .All patients were treated with multiple, intermittent injections at regular intervals. Under local anesthesia approximately 20 ml of an ozone-oxygen mixture of 10ug/ml ozone was injected with1a 22G needle puncture under C –arm guidance where necessary. After 2 and 6 weeks patients were asked to rate the treatment success on a numeric pain scale from 0 to 10.Patients were put on a rehabilitative physiotherapy program at 2 weeks. RESULTS: After 2 weeks, most patients had satisfactory pain relief of various degrees. Four patients reported no change (all had advanced stages of osteo arthritis). On follow up, 2 of those had effective pain relief while the remaining 2 had no change, and went on for surgery. At a 6 week follow up pain relief was still satisfactory for all. CONCLUSION: Joint disorders can very successfully be treated by means of oxygen-ozone mixture locally administered. The medical ozone injection is thought to affect both the mechanical and inflammatory components of pain. Ozone therapy is a promising treatment option for patients with symptomatic joint pathology, failed conservative therapies, and are not considered candidates for open surgery.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous ozone injection of the Gasserian ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous ozone injection for refractory trigeminal neuralgia.DesignA retrospective evaluation was performed in the study.SettingThe study was conducted at a university hospital pain center.Patients and methodsA total of 29 patients with a clinical diagnosis of refractory trigeminal neuralgia were enrolled. All patients were treated with a percutaneous ozone injection and one patient was excluded. There were 21 patients with classical trigeminal neuralgia (group A) and seven patients with painful trigeminal neuropathy caused by post-herpetic neuralgia (group B). The percutaneous injection was an oxygen–ozone mixture at an ozone concentration of 30 μg/mL into the Gasserian ganglion performed under CT guidance. The number of procedures performed varied from one to as many as 16. Outcomes were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores.ResultsThe combined VAS scores were 7.11 ± 1.23 pretreatment, 2.86 ± 1.69 posttreatment (P < 0.05) and 3.25 ± 2.01 after 6-month follow-up (P < 0.05). In group A, the VAS scores were 7.10 ± 1.04 pretreatment and 2.90 ± 1.84 posttreatment (P < 0.05). In group B, the VAS scores were 7.14 ± 1.77 pretreatment and 2.71 ± 1.25 posttreatment (P < 0.05). After 6-months follow-up, the VAS score was 3.38 ± 2.18 in group A and 2.86 ± 1.46 in group B, a decrease compared to pretreatment (P < 0.05). VAS of Group A and B showed no difference not only in pretreatment but also in postreatment and follow-up.ConclusionPercutaneous ozone injection is a safe and effective treatment for patients with refractory trigeminal neuralgia.

RESULTS OF OXYGEN-OZONE MIX IN THE TREATMENT OF VITILIGO

Obtaining new data on the role of the antioxidant system in vitiligo in the future can contribute to the development of new effective and safe methods for combining vitiligo with an oxygen-ozone mixture with a minimal risk of side effects, as well as a short duration of treatment and low financial costs. Materials and methods. We observed 50 patients with vitiligo in the advanced stage of the disease, aged 20-59 years. Before the start of the course of ozonotherapy and after its completion in 2-4 weeks, the main indicators of the antioxidant system were studied (the following superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione, malonic dialdehyde, 8-OH-deoxyguanosine). All patients received systemic oxygen-ozone mixture therapy by intravenous injection of ozonized saline (OBS). The amount of the injected solution is 300-400 ml, the duration of the procedure is 30-60 minutes. The procedures performed 3 times a week; the course is 9-10 procedures. The tolerability of the procedures was satisfactory in all cases, no side effects were observed. Results. As a result of the treatment the stop of the progression of vitiligo was noted in 40 (80%) patients in the form of diffuse or point repigmentation, a decrease in the area of depigmented spots. This clinical picture correlated with the normalization of the indices of oxidative stress, which was manifested by a significant decrease in the level of malonic dialdehyde and 8-OH-deoxyguanosine against a background of an increase in the concentration of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase on average in 1.5 times.

Oxygen-ozone therapy and local administration induced pain

Oxygen-ozone (O²-O³) therapy is emerging in the treatment of many diseases. This kind of treatment is characterized by a few side effects. When oxygen-ozone mixture is administered through subcutaneous or intramuscular infiltration, often patients refer pain or burning sensation in the site of injection. The aim of our study is to evaluate intensity and duration of this side effect during treatments.