The world’s first clinical functional and radiological outcomes of ozone assisted arthodiastasis: A case study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63666/ejsmr.1694-9013.4.I.2026.106Keywords:
Avascular necrosis, Arthrodiastasis, Hip joint, Medical ozone, Osteoarthritis, Ozone therapyAbstract
Introduction: Early osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis (AVN) of the hip are major causes of pain and disability in young and middle-aged adults, necessitating effective joint-preserving strategies. Ozone-assisted arthrodiastasis offers both mechanical decompression of the hip joint and biochemical benefits from medical ozone, which possesses anti- inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. This study evaluated the clinical, functional, and radiological outcomes of this combined therapeutic approach.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on 328 patients aged 18–65 years with early-stage AVN (Ficat–Arlet I–III) or early degenerative hip disease unresponsive to conservative therapy. All patients received a 50 cc intra-articular injection of medical ozone (20–40 μg/mL) under fluoroscopic guidance, followed by standardized physiotherapy and follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months. Pain (VAS), function (Harris Hip Score), and radiological parameters were assessed at each visit. Femoral head survival and adverse events were also analyzed.
Results: Baseline assessments showed significant pain (VAS 7.2 ± 1.1) and impaired function (HHS 54.3 ± 8.8). Pain reduced significantly at follow-up, with VAS scores decreasing to 4.3 at 1 month, 3.6 at 3 months, and 3.1 at 6 months (p < 0.001). Functional outcomes improved markedly, with HHS increasing to 68.9 at 3 months and 74.2 at 6 months. Radiologically, 67.4% of patients showed no disease progression, 25.6% showed improvement, and only 2.7% progressed to femoral head collapse. Femoral head survival was highest in Stage I (97.9%) and Stage II (93.1%). Adverse events occurred in 25.3% but were mild and self-limiting, with no major complications.
Conclusion: Ozone-assisted arthrodiastasis is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective hip- preservation procedure that significantly reduces pain, improves function, and stabilizes early-stage AVN and degenerative hip disease. The high femoral head survival rates show it may delay or prevent the need for surgical intervention in early disease stages.
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