Reduced Time to Skin Grafting in Chronic Wounds Using an Esterified Hyaluronic Acid Matrix and Negative Pressure Wound Therapy

Abstract

Introduction. The use of NPWT and eHAM can aid in the closure of chronic wounds with exposed bone and tendon. Objective. The authors examined the time to skin grafting and wound closure in 10 patients after treatment with either NPWT with eHAM (group 1, n = 5) or NPWT without eHAM (group 2, n = 5). Results. The average time to closure was similar between group 1 and group 2 (15.2 weeks vs 14.6 weeks) despite a nearly twofold greater initial wound area. However, the rate of wound closure per week was better in group 1 than in group 2 in terms of both area (9.0 cm2 vs 6.8 cm2) and volume (12.3 cm3 vs 5.4 cm3). In addition, the rate of wound closure per week at skin grafting was better in group 1 than group 2 in terms of both area (4.5 cm2 vs 3.8 cm2) and volume (25.9 cm3 vs 4.1 cm3). All patients in group 1 received skin grafts within 2 to 3 weeks after their second eHAM application. Conclusion. The results of this small case series suggest that eHAM has a synergistic effect when used in combination with NPWT for the treatment of chronic wounds with exposed bone and tendon.