The efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy in the management of lower extremity trauma: Review of clinical evidence

A large number of aids have been conceived and introduced into clinical practice (nutritional supplements, local dressings, technical innovations) aimed at facilitating and optimising wound heating in both acute and chronic wound settings. Among these advances, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been introduced during the last 30 years, and has been analysed in over 400 manuscripts of the English, Russian and German literature. Until very recently, vacuum assisted closure (VAC(R)) (KCI, TX, USA) has been the only readily available commercial device that provides locatised negative pressure to the wound and is the predominant agent used to deliver NPWT featured in this review. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing clinical evidence of the English literature on the apptications of NPWT in the acute setting of trauma and burns of the lower extremity. Overall, 16 clinical studies have been evaluated and scrutinised as to the safety and the efficacy of this adjunct therapy in the specific environment of trauma. Effectiveness was comparable to the standard dressing and wound coverage methods. The existing clinical evidence justifies its application in Lower limb injuries associated with soft tissue trauma. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.