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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Limited added value of negative pressure wound therapy compa...
Equine veterinary journal2021; 54(3); 592-600; doi: 10.1111/evj.13487

Limited added value of negative pressure wound therapy compared with calcium alginate dressings for second intention healing in a noncontaminated and contaminated equine distal limb wound model.

Abstract: Distal limb wounds in horses often show aberrant healing due to a slow inflammatory response. In human medicine, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is used for the treatment of chronic wounds with a similar inflammatory response. Objective: To compare the effect of NPWT to calcium alginate dressings on the healing of (non) contaminated equine distal limb wounds. Methods: Controlled experiment. Methods: Circular wounds were created on the left and right dorsomedial metacarpus of 10 horses. In five horses, the wounds were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In all horses, one limb was treated with NPWT, the other with calcium alginate dressings. Treatments were applied during nine days for noncontaminated wounds and six days for contaminated wounds. Noninvasive (clinical assessment, bacteriology swabs, thermographic images and wound dimensions) and invasive (biopsies for histology and growth factor analysis) measurements were taken regularly for 71 and 29 days respectively. Effects of selected parameters on continuous dependent variables were analysed using ANOVA, while for discrete dependent variables, logistic regression was applied. Results: In noncontaminated wounds, there was significantly less wound retraction in the early healing stages when treated with NPWT (mean difference [95% CI] = 19.2% [13.3%-25.1%]; P = .005), although wound size was not significantly different between NPWT and control wounds at later healing stages. Noncontaminated control wounds had a significantly higher neutrophil influx (OR [95% CI] = 1.99 [1.49-2.66]; P < .001) and lower macrophage influx (OR [95% CI] = 0.75 [0.60-0.93]; P = .008) compared with NPWT-treated wounds. Bacterial load and the presence of growth factors did not differ between treatments in noncontaminated wounds. In contaminated wounds, no differences between treatments were observed in wound size, histological parameters, bacterial load or growth factor concentration. Conclusions: Sample size is small. Conclusions: No long-term advantage was detected with NPWT compared with calcium alginate dressings in noncontaminated or contaminated equine distal limb wounds healing by second intention.
© 2021 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2021-07-29 PubMed ID: 34115409DOI: 10.1111/evj.13487Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study compared the efficiency of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) and calcium alginate dressings in healing noncontaminated and contaminated distal limb wounds in horses. It concluded that NPWT had no significant long-term benefit over calcium alginate dressings in the healing of such wounds.

Research Methodology

  • The study was a controlled experiment involving 10 horses.
  • Noncontaminated and contaminated wounds were created on the left and right dorsomedial metacarpus of the horses.
  • For five horses, the wounds were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • In all the horses, one limb was treated with NPWT, and the other with calcium alginate dressings.
  • The treatments were applied for nine and six days for noncontaminated and contaminated wounds, respectively.
  • Both noninvasive (clinical assessment, bacteriology swabs, thermographic images, wound dimensions) and invasive (biopsies for histology and growth factor analysis) measurements were taken over different periods.
  • The potential effects of certain factors on the variables were analysed using ANOVA and logistic regression techniques.

Research Findings

  • In the case of noncontaminated wounds, there was significantly less retraction in the early stages of healing with NPWT, but wound size was not significantly different between NPWT and control wounds at later stages.
  • Noncontaminated control wounds showed a significantly higher neutrophil influx and a lower macrophage influx when compared to NPWT-treated wounds.
  • There was no significant difference between bacterial load and the presence of growth factors in noncontaminated wounds treated by both methods.
  • In the case of contaminated wounds, no significant differences were observed in terms of wound size, histological parameters, bacterial load or growth factor concentration.
  • The study concluded that there was no significant long-term advantage of using NPWT over calcium alginate dressings in the healing of noncontaminated or contaminated equine distal limb wounds healing by second intention.

Study Limitations

  • The study had a small sample size, which could impact the reliability and generalisability of the results.

Cite This Article

APA
Haspeslagh M, Van Hecke LL, Hermans K, Chiers K, Pint E, Wilmink JM, Martens AM. (2021). Limited added value of negative pressure wound therapy compared with calcium alginate dressings for second intention healing in a noncontaminated and contaminated equine distal limb wound model. Equine Vet J, 54(3), 592-600. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13487

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 54
Issue: 3
Pages: 592-600

Researcher Affiliations

Haspeslagh, Maarten
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Van Hecke, Lore L
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Hermans, Katleen
  • Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Chiers, Koen
  • Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Pint, Eva
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
Wilmink, Jacintha M
  • Woumarec, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Martens, Ann M
  • Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of Domestic Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.

MeSH Terms

  • Alginates
  • Animals
  • Bandages / veterinary
  • Horses
  • Intention
  • Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / methods
  • Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / veterinary
  • Wound Healing

Grant Funding

  • 01D25512 / Ghent University Special Research Fund

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Partusch L, Rutland CS, Martens A, Du Cheyne C, De Spiegelaere W, Michler JK. Collagen composition in equine exuberant granulation tissue reflects tissue immaturity. PLoS One 2025;20(11):e0335179.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0335179pubmed: 41196884google scholar: lookup
  2. Ribeiro G, Carvalho L, Borges J, Prazeres J. The Best Protocol to Treat Equine Skin Wounds by Second Intention Healing: A Scoping Review of the Literature. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 18;14(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14101500pubmed: 38791717google scholar: lookup
  3. Cantatore F, Pagliara E, Marcatili M, Bertuglia A. Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) in Horses: A Scoping Review. Vet Sci 2023 Aug 6;10(8).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci10080507pubmed: 37624295google scholar: lookup
  4. Du Cheyne C, Martens A, De Spiegelaere W. High Numbers of CD163-Positive Macrophages in the Fibrotic Region of Exuberant Granulation Tissue in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Sep 18;11(9).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11092728pubmed: 34573694google scholar: lookup
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