title: Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of degloving injuries.
abstract: Degloving injuries range from the occult, easily missed injury to obvious massive tissue damage. The serious nature of these wounds is exacerbated by mismanagement. It is generally accepted that the degloved tissue should be excised, defatted, fenestrated, and reapplied as a full-thickness skin graft. Dressings are required that provide gentle, evenly distributed pressure and avoid shear stress to the newly grafted skin. Numerous types of dressings have been devised but all are cumbersome and time-consuming. We have found the Vacuum-Assisted Closure device to be a rapid, effective, and easy-to-use alternative to traditional methods. The authors examine their experience using a vacuum-assisted closure device to treat nine degloving injuries in 5 patients and discuss the important aspects in using this technique.
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Boston, MA 02119, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Meara
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pribaz
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Breuing
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Orgill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D001458:Bandages; D003646:Debridement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011140:Polyurethanes; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014618:Vacuum; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes