Is combined physical therapy more effective than topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of venous leg ulcers? Preliminary study
Mikołaj Pietrzak
Profil Orcid, Jarosław Pasek
- Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia in KatowicePoland
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Jan Długosz University in CzęstochowaPoland
Profil Orcid, Sebastian Szajkowski
Profil Orcid, Karol Szyluk
Profil Orcid et Grzegorz Cieślar
Profil Orcid 
Catégorie d'article: Original Study
Publié en ligne: 04 juin 2022
Pages: 199 - 208
Reçu: 23 août 2021
Accepté: 09 déc. 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ahem-2022-0023
Mots clés
© 2022 Mikołaj Pietrzak et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Introduction
Recently, increased frequency of chronic leg ulcers has been observed. The aim of the study was to compare therapeutic efficacy of combined physical therapy to topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of venous leg ulcers.
Materials and Methods
Participants included 36 patients (14 females and 22 males) between 18 and 80 years of age with chronic venous leg ulcers. They were randomly divided into two study groups. Group I underwent topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy; group II underwent combined physical therapy. Before and after the therapeutic cycle (15 procedures) measurement of ulceration size by planimetry and analysis of laboratory parameters of blood was performed.
Results
In both groups, a statistically significant reduction of ulcer surface area was obtained (25.11±17.8cm2 to 16.93±13.89cm2, p=0.000196) vs. (34.17±14.82cm2 to 23.99±15.15cm2, p=0.004337). Blood morphology revealed a statistically significant reduction in patients from group II who underwent combined physical therapy (p=0.01). In both groups, statistically significant reduction of fibrinogen level (p=0.01 and p<0.001), and total protein level (p=0.01) was achieved. In group II reduction of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) was noted.
Conclusions
Topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy and combined physical therapy had statistically significant effects on the reduction of surface area of treated venous leg ulcers. The changes in morphological and biochemical parameters may indicate the anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting action effects of combined physical therapy.