A retrospective review of an extracellular matrix used to treat complex chronic wounds

Introduction: Chronic wounds have a dramatic impact on the US health care system. In a recent Medicare data set review, cost projections for all wounds ranged from $US28.1 to 96.8 billion, including costs for infection management, among which surgical wounds were one of the most expensive to treat [1]. In this retrospective review we analyzed three post operative wounds and 1 chronic wound that all failed to improve with standard of care local wound management. We evaluated an intact extracellular matrix derived from the forestomach of ovine sheep (OFM). Our theory behind adding OFM to these chronic wounds was to address underlying inflammation, aid in the formation of new granulation tissue and facilitate epithelialization of the wounds. Methods: There was a total of four cases (6 wounds) where OFM was used to regenerate the defect. Three of the cases were post-surgical wounds that had fail to heal and one case was a chronic wound that had been managed in the outpatient wound care center for ~one year without improvement. In three of the cases OFM grafts^ were affixed to the wound bed and one case utilized OFM particulate†. All the wounds were only treated with a single application and followed up with until complete closure of the wound allowing for the final aesthetic and functional outcomes to be evaluated.Results: All four cases demonstrated complete closure between 7-13 weeks after a single application of OFM grafts. The healed wounds demonstrated good cosmesis and functional tissue was re-established at the defects. Patients were satisfied with the outcomes achieved. Discussion: This case series highlights how the addition of an advanced extracellular matrix such as OFM graft^ can aid the rate of wound healing and closure, via establishment of a robust granular bed.