Clinical Outcomes of Intra-Articular Ozone Injections in Hip Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Study Comparing Different Injection Frequencies

TL;DR

This study examines how different numbers of ozone injections affect hip osteoarthritis patients' pain and function over time.

Contribution

The study provides clinical insights into the effectiveness of varying ozone injection frequencies for hip osteoarthritis.

Findings

All groups showed significant improvements in pain and function scores after ozone injections.

Three ozone sessions showed numerically better outcomes but not always statistically significant.

More sessions may lead to better clinical improvement, but needs further validation.

Abstract

Background: This retrospective study evaluated the association between the number of intra-articular ozone injection sessions and clinical outcomes in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Data from 54 patients (65 hips) with Tönnis grade 1–2 hip OA treated at a tertiary algology clinic between 2022 and 2024 were analyzed. Patients were categorized into three groups based on the number of ozone sessions received (1, 2, or 3). Pain and functional status were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index at baseline and at 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-procedure.
Results: All groups demonstrated significant improvements in VAS and WOMAC scores compared to baseline (p < 0.001). Although the three-session group showed more pronounced numerical improvements in both early and late follow-ups, intergroup differences did not consistently reach statistical significance across all time points.
Conclusions: Intra-articular ozone application is associated with favorable clinical trends in pain reduction and functional recovery. Our findings suggest that a three-session regimen may provide more pronounced clinical improvement compared to fewer sessions. These findings warrant validation through rigorous, randomized controlled trials.

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