Abstract Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent rheumatic disease in India, affecting 22%–39% of the population. Nearly 45% of women over 65 have symptoms, while radiological evidence is found in 70% of those over 65. Ozone therapy, applied topically, infiltratively, or systemically, is effective in treating OA and other musculoskeletal diseases. Objectives: The primary objective of this pilot study is to test the hypothesis that there are statistically significant differences in pain relief and functional recovery of daily activities between ultrasound-assisted knee injections of ozone and steroid versus ozone alone, as measured by validated scoring scales. Materials and Methods: The cohort comprises 80 patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II between the ages of 45 and 70 years of either sex with primary knee OA with radiographic evidence (Grades 0, 1, and 2; Lawrence and Kellgren radiological criteria) of severity of the knee joint. The patients were randomized to receive a single ultrasound-assisted knee injection of either ozone alone or a combination of ozone with steroids. All patients were assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) Index and the visual analog pain scale (VAS) at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows software was used for data management and statistical analysis. The level of significance was set at 0.05 for all statistical tests. Results: Pain in both ultrasound-assisted ozone-steroid and ozone-only groups improved from baseline at 1 month. The ozone-steroid group showed significantly greater WOMAC and VAS improvement at 6 months. Conclusion: Ultrasound-assisted ozone therapy, with or without steroids, effectively relieved pain and improved function in knee OA patients at 6 months.
Chansoria et al. (Thu,) studied this question.