The basis for treating abnormalities in the knee joint through such approach lies in O3‘s basic action: ozone is an analgesic, it is anti-inflammatory and it strengthens the overall metabolic function. This has been common knowledge ever since ozone was used in medicine, or for over seventy years. Taking these facts into account, Professor Fahmy, medical director of the Augusta Clinic for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Bad Kreuznach, Germany, in 1985 devised a protocol involving ozone injections directly into the joint, combined with sessions of major autohemo therapy, as it had been discovered by then that major autohemo therapy can contribute to the re-mineralization of bone tissue. Following in Fahmy’s footsteps Riva-Sanseverino treated his 326 patients in a similar fashion, however, without adding the major autohemo treatments for overall re-vitalization.
And these were the results:
- Naturally, the easiest and quickest successes happened in Group A. 20% of the patients in this group needed only one series of 12 intra-articular ozone injections, for their knee to fully recuperate. After which the symptoms did not return even 24 months later when last control check was done. The remaining 80% of the patients in Group A needed the same series of 12 ozone injections, plus 10 electrotherapy and physiotherapy sessions each to rebuild and revitalize the quadriceps. After six weeks of treatment all 84 patients had regained full mobility and function of their knee.
- The successes in Group B took longer to manifest. 3 to 4 weeks of ozone injections passed before the mobility of the knee increased significantly, and in proportion to the reduction in pain. After the completion of the first series of treatments all patients were treated with electrotherapy and physiotherapy. Thereafter, 94% of the patients required a second and a third treatment series with ozone injections, for further improvements. After each series the mobility in their knee joint increased a bit more, as the pain also continued to decrease. In the end all patients experienced definite improvement. Especially the pain had vanished, and almost full mobility had been regained.
- The most difficult to treat patients, of course came from Group C, with marked clinical and radiological evidence (subchondral sclerosis, osteophytosis etc). Therefore, therapeutic success took much longer to manifest and proved more limited in scope. For example, even after seven weeks of treatments most patients in this group still complained of mild pain in the knee joint, whereas the patients from Group A and B had been free of pain then. 47 of the 69 patients in Group C suffered from heavy and extremely painful inflammation in the knee joints in both legs. In their case, the treatment success after the first series of ozone injections turned out so limited in scope that it seemed appropriate to add steroid injections (10 to 20 mg) to the protocol, as well as a 2% procain solution.
No patient of any of the groups showed any side effects. Most patients had benefited, the patients in Group A to the point of full recovery, and also most of the patients in Group B, whereas the patients in group C showed only moderate, yet in terms of pain reduction significant improvement.