Purpose. To evaluate the outcome of open fracture surgery with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) applied directly over surgical wounds. Methods. Medical records of 10 men and 4 women aged 6 to 70 (mean, 43.7) years who underwent internal fixation, external fixation, or splint application for open fractures of the lower leg (n=7), foot and ankle (n=5), or knee (n=2), and NPWT were reviewed. The NPWT was applied directly over the surgical wound without a non-adherent contact layer. The foam was changed every 3 days. The standard negative pressure was 125 mm Hg. The NPWT was stopped when the wound discharge became <50 ml per day. The duration of NPWT and the level of negative pressure were recorded, as were wound condition, reasons for NPWT, and outcome. Results. The mean duration of NPWT was 9.1 (range, 3-24) days. Four patients developed maceration of the skin under the foam, whereas 2 patients developed skin blisters under the drape. No necrosis of flap skin Negative-pressure wound therapy over surgically closed wounds in open fracturesTakashi Suzuki, Akihiro Minehara, Terumasa Matsuura, Tadashi Kawamura, Kazui Soma Emergency Medical Center, Kitasato University Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Dr. Takashi Suzuki, Emergency Medical Center, Kitasato University Hospital, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, 252-0375, Japan. Email: takashisuzuki911@yahoo.co.jp Surgery 2014;22(1):30-4 or infection occurred, and all the fractures eventually united. Conclusions. Maceration of the skin was seen in some cases but did not affect the overall outcome. NPWT directly over the skin surface had no deleterious effect on wound and fracture healing. Journal of Orthopaedic
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.