[Effectiveness of vacuum sealing drainage combined with modified external fixation antibiotic-impregnated cement semi-open technique in treating chronic ulcer wounds].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of debridement-vacuum sealing drainage (VSD)-modified external fixation antibiotic-impregnated cement semi-open technique in treatment of chronic ulcer wounds.

Methods: Clinical data of 43 patients with chronic ulcer wounds who met the selection criteria and admitted between January 2019 and June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 23 cases were treated with debridement-VSD-modified external fixation antibiotic-impregnated cement semi-open technique (improved group), and 20 cases were treated with debridement-VSD-traditional antibiotic-impregnated cement technique (control group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, constituent ratio of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, constituent ratio of patients with smoking history, body mass index, wound site, and other baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05). The healing quality and healing time, the positive rate of bacterial culture after bone cement coating, the loosening rate of bone cement, the number of operations, the number of hospitalizations, the length of hospitalization, and the cost of hospitalization were recorded and compared between the two groups.

Results: Compared with the control group, the positive rate of bacterial culture after bone cement coating and the loosening rate of bone cement in the improved group was significantly lower, as well as the number of operations, the number of hospitalizations, the length of hospitalization, and hospitalization cost significantly reduced ( P<0.05). Wound repair was completed in both groups without amputation. The wound healing quality of the improved group was better than that of the control group and the wound healing time was shorter, the differences were significant ( P<0.05). All patients were followed up 1-5 years (mean 3.4 years), and no ulcers recurred during follow-up.

Conclusion: Debridement-VSD-modified external fixation antibiotic-impregnated cement semi-open technique in the treatment of chronic ulcer wounds can effectively reduce the loosening rate of bone cement, facilitate the induced membrane formation and wound healing, and significantly reduce the number of operations and shorten the length of hospital stay.