Adjuvant combined ozone therapy for extensive wound over tibia.

Area of Science:

• Wound Healing
• Infectious Diseases
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Severe infections and exposed bone in complex wounds pose significant treatment challenges.
• Traditional treatments like debridement and antibiotics can be insufficient for extensive, nonhealing wounds.
• Amputation is often considered for limb-threatening infections with exposed bone and joint involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a case study on the efficacy of ozone therapy in managing a complex, infected wound with exposed tibia and knee joint involvement.
• To evaluate the potential of topical ozone and ozone autohemotherapy as an alternative to amputation.
• To document the healing process and functional outcome in a patient with a post-surgical, extensively infected wound.

Main Methods:

• A 59-year-old female patient with compartment syndrome and an extensively infected wound with exposed tibia and knee joint was treated.
• The treatment regimen included topical ozone therapy (twice daily) and ozone autohemotherapy (once daily), alongside parenteral antibiotics and daily dressings.
• Subsequent procedures included split-thickness skin grafting, implant removal, intramedullary nailing, and latissimus dorsi pedicle flap.
• The patient was followed up for 20 months.

Main Results:

• Within 5 days of ozone therapy, the wound became healthy enough for a split-thickness skin graft.
• The knee wound healed completely after 10 days of topical ozone therapy.
• The patient underwent successful reconstructive surgery on day 15.
• At 20 months follow-up, the patient achieved independent ambulation with minimal disability.

Conclusions:

• Topical ozone therapy and ozone autohemotherapy can be a viable and effective treatment for severe, infected wounds, including those with exposed bone and joint.
• Ozone therapy may offer a limb-salvage option in cases where amputation is otherwise indicated.
• This case highlights the potential of ozone as an adjunctive therapy in complex wound management, promoting bone and soft tissue healing and restoring function.