Soft tissue grafting in healing chronic wounds: Two case studies

Area of Science:

• Periodontal Medicine
• Oral Surgery
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Chronic wounds impede healing, with limited periodontal management data.
• Traumatic and surgical wounds that fail to heal are considered chronic.
• Periodontal tissues present unique challenges in chronic wound care.

Observation:

• Two patients with chronic post-surgical periodontal wounds were treated.
• Autogenous soft tissue grafting was employed to stimulate healing.
• Enamel matrix derivative was used with a gingival graft in one case.

Findings:

• Both cases showed successful and rapid wound closure within one week.
• Soft tissue grafts aided healing by replacing tissue and providing growth factors.
• Autogenous grafting is a successful treatment for chronic periodontal wounds.

Implications:

• Soft tissue grafting is a viable treatment for chronic periodontal wounds.
• Understanding wound healing biology is crucial for surgical technique selection.
• Surgical factors like wound extent and donor tissue availability are key limitations.