Negative pressure wound therapy in the management of postoperative infections after musculoskeletal tumour surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present retrospective study was to report on the effectiveness of the negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the treatment of infected wounds after musculoskeletal tumour surgery.


METHODS
A total of 12 patients (10 male, 2 female, mean age 44.9 years with 9 early and 3 late infections) were included in the study. Patient parameters measured include age, gender, tumour diagnosis and localisation, pathogen organism, foam used, pressure height and modus, number of NPWT dressings changes, total duration of NPWT, need for secondary wound closure, length of hospitalisation, complications, and follow-up.


RESULTS
The NPWT dressings were changed on average 6.7 (SD±6.9) times after a mean duration of 5.6 (SD±2.4) days. The total duration of NPWT was 37.7 (SD±32.9) days. The mean hospital stay was 77.5 (SD±58.8) days. In 7 out of 12 cases, a split-thickness skin graft transplantation was performed. In these cases, no seroma or hematoma formation beneath the skin graft could be observed. At a mean follow-up 39.2 (range: 9-73) months, no reinfection or infection persistence was apparent.


CONCLUSIONS
NPWT can be of valuable assistance in the treatment of infected wounds following musculoskeletal tumour surgery. The patients should be informed about the long treatment period.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Saarland, Homburg/Saarland, Germany.
K
K
Anagnostakos
Medical Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital of Saarland, Homburg/Saarland, Germany.
P
P
Mosser
D000328:Adult; D001458:Bandages; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019042:Muscle Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome