Determinants of wound healing in bone marrow-impregnated collagen matrix treatment: impact of microcirculatory response to surgical debridement.

Although previous reports have suggested the efficacy of autologous bone marrow-impregnated collagen matrix experimentally and clinically, we occasionally encounter difficult wounds that fail to respond to the treatment. The current study retrospectively investigated the factors that affect clinical outcomes based on the hypothesis that periwound microcirculation may play a significant role. Fifty-three patients with chronic wounds received surgical debridement, followed by application of an autologous bone marrow-impregnated collagen matrix. The periwound transcutaneous oxygen tension (TcPO(2)) was evaluated (n=39). The patients were retrospectively divided into successful and unsuccessful subgroups. Successful treatment was defined as wound closure by spontaneous healing or skin graft. The TcPO(2) of the unsuccessful subgroup significantly decreased after debridement while that of the successful subgroup increased. Among various parameters, the TcPO(2) at 4 days after debridement showed the strongest association with the success of the treatment. As reference data, we collected the information of the patients (n=22) who received standard wound care, and they showed the same trend wherein the TcPO(2) of the unsuccessful subgroup markedly decreased after debridement. Reactivity of the wound microcirculation to increased wound perfusion in response to the surgical debridement might be a key determinant for successful wound healing.