Management of Skin Grafts Using Negative Pressure Therapy
This study is limited in its population size and subjective measurements. The 50 mm Hg group, for instance, had only 2 patients and wound sizes were smaller than in other groups. These factors make it difficult to exclude other reasons for successful take of the skin graft. Measuring endpoints by visual estimation also creates some inaccuracy in this study's results. Further analysis with computer-based estimation, or histologic analysis, may help to validate results. Finally, the benefit of NPWT at lower pressure settings and in smaller wounds is not clearly superior to that of a traditional bolster, and may represent a higher cost that is not clearly beneficial to patients. Further study in larger patient populations with larger wound sizes will be necessary.
Limitations
This study is limited in its population size and subjective measurements. The 50 mm Hg group, for instance, had only 2 patients and wound sizes were smaller than in other groups. These factors make it difficult to exclude other reasons for successful take of the skin graft. Measuring endpoints by visual estimation also creates some inaccuracy in this study's results. Further analysis with computer-based estimation, or histologic analysis, may help to validate results. Finally, the benefit of NPWT at lower pressure settings and in smaller wounds is not clearly superior to that of a traditional bolster, and may represent a higher cost that is not clearly beneficial to patients. Further study in larger patient populations with larger wound sizes will be necessary.
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