Authors

1. Cervelli, Valerio MD
2. Lucarini, Lucilla MD
3. Spallone, Diana MD
4. Palla, Ludovico MD
5. Colicchia, Gianfranco Marcello MD
6. Gentile, Pietro MD
7. De Angelis, Barbara MD

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In lower-extremity surgery, the complex wound with bone exposure remains a challenging problem for the plastic surgeon. The purpose of this study was to describe a new therapeutic approach to stimulate the regeneration of the lower-extremity complex wounds based on a combined treatment composed of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) dressing.

DESIGN: Wounds with posttraumatic bone exposure have been treated with HA dressing alone or in combination with PRP.

PATIENT: Fifteen patients affected by lower-extremity wound with posttraumatic bone exposure have been treated at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.

RESULTS: After a single treatment, the authors observed that the mean re-epithelialization time was 8.1 weeks in 73.3% patients treated with PRP and HA dressing versus the 30% patients treated with HA dressing only.

CONCLUSION: These data confirm the evidence of using PRP technology in the healing of both soft- and hard-tissue wounds. Moreover, the satisfaction of the patient confirms the quality of this study's results.