This article is part of the HBOT Radar series, where we summarize the latest published hyperbaric oxygen therapy research.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It summarizes published medical research conducted in clinical settings and does not evaluate Brain Spa Hyperbaric products. The hyperbaric chambers offered on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Do not make medical decisions based on this article — consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Title:
New systematic review shows HBOT improves tendon and ligament healing — with pressures ranging from 1.3 to 2.8 ATA
What this study found
This 2025 systematic review analyzed 13 studies (animal + human) with 693 participants, all looking at hyperbaric oxygen therapy for:
- tendon injuries
- ligament injuries
- post-surgical recovery (including ACL reconstruction)
These injuries affect 1.7 billion people worldwide, and standard treatments often leave patients with long healing times, stiffness or instability.
Hyperbaric oxygen has drawn research interest as a possible complementary approach, which is what this review set out to examine.
HBOT protocols in the studies
Across the included studies, pressures ranged from:
- 1.3 ATA (mild HBOT)
- up to 2.8 ATA (hospital HBOT)
HBOT was used both:
- as standalone therapy
- and combined with treatments like platelet-rich plasma, growth factors, steroid injections or intermittent oxygen therapy
The included studies span a wide pressure range, from 1.3 up to 2.8 ATA. The review does not compare pressures against each other, so it cannot tell us whether the lower or higher end performed better.
This review pooled both animal and human studies. Where a finding is described without specifying which, it may rest on either. The human studies were conducted in clinical settings under medical supervision, and results from clinical research cannot be directly applied to other settings or devices — always consult a healthcare professional.
Key improvements observed
Across functional, radiological, biomechanical and tissue-level assessments, HBOT consistently improved healing:
Better tissue quality
- increased collagen synthesis
- denser collagen fibers
- improved fiber alignment
- stronger tendon and ligament structure
Faster healing
- accelerated recovery timelines
- improved load-bearing ability sooner
Post-surgical benefits
- reduced graft rejection after ACL reconstruction
- better functional recovery
- improved joint stability
Pain and mobility improvements
Many human studies found reduced pain and improved range of motion compared to controls.
Safety
The review found low risk of bias and no major safety concerns across all studies.
Why this matters
Tendon and ligament injuries are notoriously slow to heal because these tissues have poor blood supply.
HBOT directly addresses this by:
- increasing dissolved oxygen in plasma
- delivering oxygen deeper into poorly vascularized tissue
- stimulating fibroblasts (the cells that make collagen)
- reducing inflammation
- supporting mitochondrial repair
This results in stronger, better-organized tissue — not just faster healing, but higher-quality healing.
The lowest pressure used in any included study was 1.3 ATA. That is worth noting, but a single study at the low end of a range is not the same as evidence that low pressure is sufficient — nobody tested one pressure against another here.
Takeaway for the community
Across the 13 studies reviewed, the reported findings were:
- faster reported healing timelines
- improved collagen density and fibre alignment, largely in animal studies
- enhances outcomes after surgeries like ACL reconstruction
- works across a wide pressure range (1.3–2.8 ATA)
- was studied both alone and alongside other regenerative treatments, with no major safety concerns reported
The review's own conclusion is that larger trials are needed. What exists so far is a consistent direction across a small and mixed set of studies, not a settled answer.
HBOT Radar continues to follow new research on musculoskeletal healing, regeneration and performance recovery.
Study link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41036684/
Educational disclaimer
This content summarizes findings from published medical research for educational purposes only.
The hyperbaric chambers sold on this website are non-medical wellness devices and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The studies discussed here were conducted in clinical medical settings using medical-grade interventions. The inclusion of research summaries does not imply that similar outcomes can be achieved using non-medical wellness devices.
