Sonic transdermal transfer of ozone and its use in oxygen-ozone therapy. Wheat and chaff

Sonic transdermal transfer (STDT) has been proposed as a non-invasive alternative to needle-based oxygen-ozone therapy, particularly to avoid the discomfort of injections. This study evaluates the efficiency of STDT for ozone delivery compared to direct needle injection by analyzing diffusion mechanics, biochemical stability, and therapeutic outcomes in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) treatment. The results indicate that STDT significantly underperforms in ozone transfer efficiency. Needle injection achieves ∼92 % efficiency with immediate delivery, while STDT, even at optimized conditions (3 MPa, 3 MHz), reaches only ∼28 % efficiency, requiring at least 10 min for ozone penetration. Additionally, ozone's instability in biological environments leads to rapid degradation during prolonged diffusion, further limiting its therapeutic availability. Computational modelling of healing probabilities confirms that needle injection results in a higher likelihood of recovery (∼95 % by 12 weeks), whereas STDT reaches only ∼50 %, primarily due to poor ozone penetration and retention in tissues. Despite the theoretical potential of ultrasound-enhanced gas diffusion, practical application of STDT for ozone therapy remains unproven. The skin's selective permeability, combined with ozone's chemical instability, presents significant challenges that limit the effectiveness of STDT. Given the substantial differences in therapeutic outcomes, needle injection remains the superior method for ozone delivery in medical treatments, particularly for conditions requiring precise and efficient gas transfer. Further research may explore optimization strategies for STDT, but current evidence does not support its use as a viable alternative to direct injection for therapeutic ozone administration.