Fat grafting associated with negative pressure wound therapy

To describe a case report of FG associated with NPWT in the treatment of complex wound on the distal third of the lower limb with bone exposure.

A 59-year-old patient with chronic left tibial osteomyelitis since childhood underwent extensive debridement of the distal tibial diaphysis (40% of bone thickness per 10 cm extension) and placement of bioactive glass S53P4. Distal necrosis occurred in the fasciocutaneous flap used as the primary bone coverage. After flap debridement, the case was resolved with FG, directly on the exposed bone and biomaterial, associated with NPWT. Three weeks after the first FG session over bony tissue, 100% granulation was achieved with NPWT. The closure was completed with thin laminated skin graft over the granulated wound area.

The association of FG and NPWT is not known in the clinical practice. Except for the only one experimental study described by Kao et al.4, the theme was not addressed in the medical literature before. In this clinical case, the result obtained regarding the granulation tissue formation drew attention and prevented the use of more complex flaps such as the microsurgical ones. Accelerated granulation tissue formation was observed, filling an extensive and deep bone defect, even with infected bone and biomaterial. Low morbidity and no complications were observed with the use of FG associated with NPWT. When the grafted fat was compacted with the NPWT, it seemed to behave as a true autologous biological matrix with large amount of cells. To date, scientific studies on fat grafting have focused on the cellular aspect (adipocytes and mesenchymal cells), growth factors and fat differentiation in different tissues. The property of aspirated adipose tissue as a biological matrix seemed to be revealed by the application of NPWT in association with FG. This new roll for the aspirated fat tissue may represent a new research field in plastic surgery.