Observation on the Clinical Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Postoperative Recovery of Patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in Plateau Areas After Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)

Background: When the altitude is 0 meters above sea level, the oxygen concentration in the air is approximately 21%. As the altitude increases, the oxygen concentration gradually decreases. At an altitude of 3,000 meters, the oxygen concentration in the air is about 15%. The low oxygen concentration seriously affects the recovery after knee joint surgery and is more likely to lead to postoperative complications. This study aims to explore the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the early postoperative recovery of patients with Kashin-Beck disease in high-altitude areas after undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: The clinical data of 58 patients with Kashin-Beck Disease who were hospitalized and underwent TKA in Ruoergai County People's Hospital at an average altitude of 3,500 meters were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used after surgery, they were divided into two groups: the hyperbaric oxygen group (HO group, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was administered daily from the 1st to the 7th day after surgery) and the conventional group (GO group, only normal pressure oxygen inhalation was carried out without hyperbaric oxygen therapy after surgery). Finally, a total of 56 patients were included in the study, with 22 patients in the HO group and 34 patients in the GO group, and the evaluation was carried out based on the recovery status of all selected patients at the time of discharge after surgery. Results: There was no significant difference in the general clinical data between the two groups; the overall incidence of adverse reactions after surgery in the HO group was significantly lower than that in the GO group (P<0.01); the postoperative quality of recovery score (QoR-40) of the HO group was significantly higher than that of the GO group on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days after surgery (P<0.01); although there was no significant difference in the pain (NRS) score, knee joint score, and surgical satisfaction between the two groups at 2 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after surgery, the length of hospital stay in the HO group was significantly shorter than that in the GO group, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in plateau areas after TKA is beneficial to the early postoperative recovery process, can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, and shorten the length of hospital stay, which has significant clinical application value.