Insight into Venous Leg Ulcer Healing: Near Infrared Spectroscopy Imaging and Predictive Analysis

Introduction: Chronic venous insufficiency often leads to complications, including venous leg ulcers (VLU). Multispectral near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) imaging shows promise as an adjunct for assessing microcirculation, providing insights into tissue oxygenation (StO2 ). This study aims to determine whether NIRS measurements can predict the healing trajectories of VLU when treated with conventional therapies alone or in conjunction with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).Methods:NIRS imaging was conducted on the wound regions of patients with hard-to-heal VLUs. Multispectral NIRS images of the lower extremities were longitudinally monitored for healing progression. FDA 510(k) cleared handheld NIRS and infrared (IR) imaging device* measured skin temperature and StO2. Demographic data, medical history, and arterial/venous study results were collected.Results:The study showcased significant tissue oxygenation enhancements post-HBOT, effectively identifying patients likely to benefit from the treatment. Mobile multispectral NIRS imaging, especially in VLU cases, emerged as a robust method for illustrating therapeutic efficacy. Analysis of StO2 through NIRS holds a potential to predict VLU healing trajectories.Discussion: This study underscored NIRS imaging's potential in assessing and predicting VLU healing. The observed tissue oxygenation improvements post-HBOT are consistent with previous research (Longobardi et al. 202; Lei et al. 2018; Andersen, Reiter, and Marmolejo 2024), affirming HBOT's efficacy in wound healing. Combining NIRS imaging with HBOT offers a comprehensive approach for evaluating therapeutic efficacy, with StO2, analysis emerging as a promising healing predictor.References:Andersen, Charles, Homer-Christian J. Reiter, and Valerie L. Marmolejo. 2024. “Redefining Wound Healing Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.” Advances in Skin & Wound Care 37 (5): 243–47. Lei, Jiali, Suset Rodriguez, Maanasa Jayachandran, Elizabeth Solis, Katrina Epnere, Francisco Perez-Clavijo, Stephen Wigley, and Anuradha Godavarty. 2018. “Assessing the Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers Using a Noncontact Near-Infrared Optical Imaging Approach.” Advances in Wound Care: The Journal for Prevention and Healing 7 (4): 134–43. Longobardi, Pasquale, Valentina Hartwig, Luigi Santarella, Klarida Hoxha, Jhonny Campos, Marco Laurino, Pietro Salvo, et al. 2020. “Potential Markers of Healing from near Infrared Spectroscopy Imaging of Venous Leg Ulcer. A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing Conventional with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment.” Wound Repair and Regeneration: Official Publication of the Wound Healing Society [and] the European Tissue Repair Society 28 (6): 856–66.