OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinical effects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) combined with artificial dermis grafting and autologous skin grafting on repair of open joint wounds and/or wounds with exposed bone fracture.

METHODS

Eleven patients with open joint wounds and/or wounds with exposed bone fracture, hospitalized from November 2008 to November 2014, were enrolled in the study. According to the differences of the first stage treatment, all patients were divided into experimental group ( n = 6, including 4 patients of open joint wounds, 1 patient of wound with exposed bone fracture, and 1 patient of open joint wound with exposed bone fracture), and control group ( n 5, including 2 patients of open joint wounds, 2 patients of wounds with exposed bone fracture, and 1 patient of open joint wound with exposed bone fracture). After debridement, the wounds in both groups were grafted with punctured artificial dermis, while NPWT was only used over the artificial dermis of experiment group for 1 week. In the operation at sacsod stage, autologous split-thickness skin was grafted on the vascularized artificial dermis in both groups. Results In 5 patients of open joint wounds in experimental group, the artificial dermis was vascularized well, autologous skin grafts survived, and wounds were healed. In 3 patients of open joint wounds in control group, the artificial dermis grafting all failed due to local infection, and then these wounds were repaired with local tissue flap grafting. Artificial dermis in 3 patients of wounds with exposed bone fracture in both groups was vascularized well after grafting, and the wounds were healed after autologous skin grafting, whether or not NPWT was used.

CONCLUSIONS

NPWT combined with artificial dermis grafting and autolognus skin grafting can be used for repairing open joint wounds and/or wounds with exposed bone fracture.