Trial reportJournal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale2019
Donor site morbidity following radial forearm free flap reconstruction with split thickness skin grafts using negative pressure wound therapy.
Trial report in Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sensory Abnormalities and Pain in the Donor Sites of Radial Forearm and Fibula Free Flaps-A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2026Pooled it
- Negative-pressure wound therapy for donor-site closure in radial forearm free flap: A systematic review and meta-analysis.International wound journal · 2022Pooled it
- Investigation of the Optimal Pressure for Skin Grafting Using Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Optimized nursing strategies for skin graft outcomes: a narrative review of current evidence.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Article
- Assessing Donor Site Morbidity and Impact on Quality of Life in Free Flap Microsurgery: An Overview.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Dovetailing skin incision design of radial forearm free flap for forearm wound closure and maxillofacial reconstruction.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Current and Future Developments in Wound Healing.Facial plastic surgery : FPS · 2023Article
- Interrupting Negative-pressure Wound Therapy with Dakin's Solution Is Associated with Increased Skin Graft Survival.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2022Article
- Free Skin Grafting to Reconstruct Donor Sites after Radial Forearm Flap Harvesting: A Prospective Study with Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF).Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- A Comparison of Skin Graft Techniques with and without Plaster Back Slab Dressing in Reducing Donor Site Morbidity in Radial Forearm Free Flap Surgery - A Retrospective Study.Annals of maxillofacial surgeryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDonor site complications secondary to radial forearm free flap (RFFF) reconstruction can limit recovery. Optimizing hand and wrist function in the post-operative period may allow more efficient self-care and return to activities of daily living. Negative pressure wound dressings (NPD) may increase blood flow and perfusion as compared to static pressure dressings (SPD) designed to minimize shear forces during the healing period. This study aims to compare subjective and objective hand and wrist functional outcomes following RFFF reconstruction with split thickness skin grafts (STSG) in patients treated with NPD and SPD.
methodsAdult patients undergoing RFFF with STSG were identified preoperatively and randomized to receive NPD or SPD following their RFFF reconstruction. NPD involved a single-use, portable device capable of applying 80 mmHg of negative pressure to the forearm donor site. SPD involved a volar splint. Dressings were left in place for seven days with subjective and objective function assessed at seven days, one month and three months postoperatively. The primary outcome was self-reported hand function as measured with the function subscale of the Michigan Hand Questionnaire (MHQ). Secondary outcomes included hand and wrist strength, range of motion, sensation, scar aesthetics, and skin graft complications.
resultsTwenty-four patients undergoing RFFF were randomized to NPD or SPD. Patients treated with NPD had improved MHQ self-reported functional scores as compared to those treated with SPD at seven days postoperatively (P = 0.016). Flexion at seven days was improved in NPD group (P = 0.031); however, all other strength and range of motion outcomes were similar between groups. There were no differences in rates of graft complications, scar aesthetics, or sensation.
conclusionsIn the immediate post-operative period, NPD was associated with improved patient-reported hand and wrist function. Wound care to optimize hand and wrist function could allow for improved patient outcomes in the immediate postoperative period.
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