Incisional negative pressure wound therapy after hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures - reduction of wound complications

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of incisional negative pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) in wound healing after femoral neck fracture (FNF) treated with hip hemiarthroplasty (HA) and its influence on postoperative seromas, wound secretion, as well as time and material consumption for dressing changes. The study is a prospective randomised evaluation of iNPWT in patients with large surgical wounds after FNF. Patients were randomised either to be treated by iNPWT (group A) or a standard wound dressing (group B). Follow-up included ultrasound measurements of seroma volumes on postoperative days 5 and 10, duration of wound secretion, and time and material spent for wound dressing changes. For comparison of the means, we used the t-test for independent samples, P > 0.05 was considered significant. There were 21 patients randomised in this study. Group A (11 patients, 81.6 +/- 5.2 years of age) developed a seroma of 0.257 +/- 0.75 cm(3) after 5 days and had a secretion of 0.9 +/- 1.0 days, and the total time for dressing changes was 14.8 +/- 3.9minutes, whereas group B (ten patients, 82.6 +/- 8.6 years of age) developed a seroma of 3.995 +/- 5.01 cm(3) after 5 days and had a secretion of 4.3 +/- 2.45 days, and the total time for dressing changes was 42.9 +/- 11.0 minutes. All mentioned differences were significant. iNPWT has been used on many different types of traumatic and non-traumatic wounds. This prospective, randomised study has demonstrated decreased development of postoperative seromas, reduction of total wound secretion days and reduction of needed time for dressing changes.