Silicone-coated non-woven polyester dressing enhances reepithelialisation in a sheep model of dermal wounds

Negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) also known as V.A.C. (Vacuum-assisted closure), is widely used to manage various type of wounds and accelerate healing. NPWT has so far been delivered mainly via open-cell polyurethane (PU) foam or medical gauze. In this study an experimental setup of sheep wound model was used to evaluate, under NPWT conditions, the performance of a silicone-coated non-woven polyester (N-WPE) compared with PU foam and cotton hydrophilic gauze, used as reference materials. Animals were anesthetized with spontaneous breathing to create three 3 × 3 cm skin defects bilaterally; each animal received three different samples on each side (n = 6 in each experimental group) and was subjected to negative and continuous 125 mmHg pressure up to 16 days. Wound conditions after 1, 8 and 16 days of treatment with the wound dressings were evaluated based on gross and histological appearances. Skin defects treated with the silicone-coated N-WPE showed a significant decrease in wound size, an increase of re-epithelialization, collagen deposition and wound neovascularisation, and a minimal stickiness to the wound tissue, in comparison with gauze and PU foam. Taken all together these findings indicate that the silicone-coated N-WPE dressing enhances wound healing since stimulates higher granulation tissue formation and causes minor tissue trauma during dressing changes.