Effect of ozone therapy on diabetes-related foot ulcer outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ozone therapy in treating Diabetes-related Foot Ulcer (DFU) and its outcomes.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases for published studies evaluating the use of ozone as an adjunct treatment for DFU, from inception to December 21, 2022. The primary outcome measure was the change in wound size after the intervention compared to pretreatment. Secondary outcomes included time to complete ulcer healing, number of healed patients, adverse events, amputation rates, and hospital length of stay. Quantitative data synthesis for the meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model and generic inverse variance method, while overall heterogeneity analysis was conducted using a fixed-effects model. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 index (>50%) and the Cochrane Q statistic test. Sensitivity analysis was performed using the leave-one-out method.

Results: The meta-analysis included 11 studies comprising 960 patients with DFU. The results demonstrated a significant positive effect of ozone therapy on reducing foot ulcer size (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD): -25.84, 95% CI: -51.65 to -0.04, p = 0.05), shortening mean healing time (SMD: -38.59, 95% CI: -51.81 to -25.37, p < 0.001), decreasing hospital length of stay (SMD: -8.75, 95% CI: -14.81 to -2.69, p < 0.001), and reducing amputation rates (Relative Risk (RR): 0.46, 95% CI: 0.30-0.71, p < 0.001), compared to standard treatment.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that ozone therapy has additional benefits in expediting complete DFU healing, reducing the amputation rates, and decreasing hospital length of stay, though its effects do not differ from standard treatments for complete ulcer resolution. Further research is needed to address the heterogeneity among studies and to better understand the potential beneficial effects of ozone therapy.