The Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment on Bone Regeneration: An Experimental Study Using the Bone Harvest Chamber in the Rabbit

The effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on bone regeneration was studied by using a dividable titanium implant the bone harvest chamber (BHC). BHCs were inserted in the proximal tibial metaphysis in rabbits. Newly formed bone will grow through a canal that penetrates the implant. This newly formed bone was harvested from the implant every three weeks. The amount of mineralized bone that had grown into the canals was quantified by microradiography and microdensitometry. Bone that had formed after HBO treatment was compared with a control that had been sham-treated. A quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the effects of HBO treatment showed that HBO treatment caused a significant increase of bone formation in the implants, and histology demonstrated that lamellar bone had been developed in the chamber canal. Keywords: bone regeneration, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, titanium implant