Broken bones (fractures) are very common and sometimes may take a long time to heal or in some cases may fail to heal. The resulting non-union can result in long-term pain and loss of function. The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy or HBOT has been suggested as a way to enhance healing and treat non-union. HBOT involves the delivery of oxygen at high pressure to patients in a specially designed chamber (like those used for deep sea divers suffering pressure problems after resurfacing). The aim is to increase the supply of oxygen to the fracture site, which theoretically should improve healing.
This review found only one small randomised controlled trial. However, this trial reported no clinically important outcomes. There is, therefore, no evidence from randomised trials to support or refute the use of HBOT to avoid or treat poorly healing broken bones. It should be noted that HBOT may, albeit rarely, result in serious long-term adverse effects.