Adjunctive Use of Bioresorbable Silver Matrix with Dermal Regeneration Template to Minimize Infection Risk

Background: Many practitioners use dermal regeneration template in order to help facilitate closure of nonhealing wounds. Use of a bioresorbable silver matrix on the wound bed underneath dermal regeneration template was done to minimize this infection risk, and our goal was to evaluate the tolerability of this practice in real-world patients.

Methods: Six patients with nonhealing wounds deemed appropriate for treatment with dermal regeneration template had a bioresorbable silver matrix placed on the wound bed underneath dermal regeneration template. These patients followed up every week for four weeks, where the tolerance of the product, wound size, signs of infection, exudate, and pain were recorded. The silicone layer of the dermal regeneration template was removed.

Results: None of the patients had an acute infection develop during the treatment period. One patient was removed from follow-up due to hospitalization and operative intervention of an acute fracture in the ipsilateral leg. None of our patients described any sort of increased discomfort or pain in the wound after application of the product. There was an average wound closure rate of 68% ranging from closure of 22–100%.

Conclusion: Bioresorbable silver matrix seems to be well-tolerated as an adjunct to dermal regenerative template. Although this is a small group of patients, this shows viability for the use of bioresorbable silver matrix to be used to control wound bed microbiota in patients who require dermal regeneration template. A larger study will have to be done to look at whether there actually is a substantial decrease in infection rate with such an adjunctive product.