A comparison of biomechanical properties of excised mature scars from HIV patients and non-HIV controls

BACKGROUND: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been found to have impaired wound healing. This study aimed to determine whether the healed wounds from these patients have an impaired intrinsic strength. METHODS: The healed wounds of patients with HIV infection who were undergoing a subsequent surgical procedure were excised and examined immediately by tensionometry, A non-HIV group with wounds of the same range of maturity were used as controls. RESULTS: The wounds of 11 patients with HIV were compared with those of 11 controls. There was no significant difference between the groups' preoperative hemoglobin or albumin; however, the white cell count was lower in the HIV group (P = 0,005), When examined biomechanically, wounds of the HIV group had a lower resilience (P = 0,0138), toughness (P = 0.0138), and maximum extension (P = 0.0235) compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The wounds of patients with HIV infection when measured biomechanically are weaker than those of normal non-HIV controls, Am J Surg. 2000;180:217-222. (C) 2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.