Objectives: Open wounds with exposed tendons and bones are always challenging to treat due to the lack of blood supply, leading to slow and incomplete healing. Currently, perifascial areolar tissue (PAT) is considered a promising solution for these difficult lesions thanks to its many advantageous properties. This study was conducted to preliminarily evaluate the effectiveness of autologous PAT grafting in treating wounds with exposed tendons and bones.
Methods: A descriptive case series study on 8 patients with wounds exposing tendons and bones treated with autologous PAT grafting combined with thin skin grafting, performed at the Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics in Ho Chi Minh City.
Results: The mean age was 40.43 ± 6.9 years old, all patients were male. The size of exposed tendons and bones ranged from 1 x 0.5 cm to 8 x 2 cm. The completed survival rate of PAT grafts was 75% (6/8 cases). There was 2 cases of partial graft necrosis occupied 25% (2/8 cases). The survival rate of skin grafts was 37,5% (3/8 cases). All PAT grafts covered the exposed tendon and bone, along with the good gliding ability of the underlying tendon.
Conclusion: Autologous PAT grafting is a simple, minimally invasive and effective method to cover lesions exposing tendons and bones. This method can be widely indicated for most small to medium-sized defects. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the applicability of this technique in clinical practice.