Outcomes of an Esterified Hyaluronic Acid Matrix in the Treatment of Chronic Lower Extremity Wounds: A Case Series

Objective. This case series evaluates the outcomes of persons with chronic lower extremity wounds treated with an esterified hyaluronic acid matrix (EHAM). Materials and Methods. Data were abstracted from 12 consecutive patients with a total of 14 evaluated chronic wounds (12 [100%] men, mean age 58.72 years) presenting for care at a multidisciplinary wound care center. Nine of the 12 patients had diabetes. The mean wound duration was 39.2 weeks. All patients received surgical wound debridement and were started on therapy consisting of weekly to biweekly applications of the EHAM with a nonadherent, moisture-retentive dressing until complete epithelialization was achieved. Outcomes evaluated included time to complete wound closure and proportion of patients achieving wound closure in 20 weeks. Results. In total, 85.7% of wounds measuring a mean of 2.32 cm(2) healed in the 20-week evaluation period. Of those that healed, healing took place in a mean of 8.9 weeks. Conclusions. A regimen of moist wound healing using an EHAM, which provides a scaffold for in-growing cells, may be a useful adjunct in the treatment of chronic, noninfected, nonischemic wounds.