[Hyperbaric oxygenation: physical and physiological premises, clinical uses, review of the literature].

The physic and physiologic principles regarding the mechanism of hyperbaric oxygen are referred. On the basis of the literature, the possible clinical applications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in plastic surgery are reported. The Authors underline the usefulness of this method in traumatic lesions of the legs, in gaseous gangrene, in ulcers of different etiology, in X-rays lesions, in burns and in improving the viability of cutaneous flaps.