[Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of various orthopedic disorders]

A Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HOT) unit was set up some months ago in the Anaesthesia Service of the Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute in Milan. HOT can be used in a number cases which are not relevant to the present report. In the field of Orthopaedics and Traumatology HOT in isolation or in association has proved useful in the following field: acute and chronic osteomyelitis; infected and non-infected pseudoarthroses; slow bone-knitting following limb lengthening or high risk fractures; local oedemas and disturbed scarring. Cases of patients sent to hospitals and Centres specialising in the treatment of all the above pathologies are presented. The results are highly encouraging given the high percentage of cures and the rapidity with which they were obtained. HOT has the added advantage of not requiring long-term hospitalization, since patients can be treated in outpatient departments.