Vacuum-assisted wound closure: a new approach to spinal wounds with exposed hardware.

Abstract

The use of vacuum-assisted therapy to close upper thoracic and thoracolumbar spinal wounds was studied retrospectively. Two patients whose wounds failed conservative management were successfully treated by negative pressure therapy. The authors evaluated the efficacy of applying vacuum therapy on patients with exposed spinal hardware and summarized current knowledge about this treatment. Vacuum therapy was applied three times on two patients. Success was defined as a stable, closed wound that required no future surgery and had no signs of chronic infection. Both patients' wounds were closed successfully and have received follow-up treatment for up to 10 months with no sign of recurrence. The cases illustrate the usefulness of vacuum-assisted therapy as an adjunct in closing complex back wounds with exposed spinal hardware. In the authors' experience, it helps establish a soft tissue envelope for wound healing and simplifies the need for future surgery.