Effect of Negative Pressure Therapy on Skin Blood Flow Responses in Scar Tissue

Skin blood flow is crucial for transporting nutrients during healing and treating scarring. Negative-pressure therapy (NPT) is a promising option for enhancing skin blood flow. However, the most effective dosage of NPT for treating scars remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different dosages of NPT on skin blood flow before and after treatment.

In this study, 36 participants with scars were recruited to assess the efficacy of various NPT interventions. NPT was administered at three different dosages: -105, -125, and -145 mmHg for 10 min. The perfusion level is defined as the amount of blood flowing through the skin (SBF). In NPT, SBF was measured before treatment (SBF-Baseline), during treatment (SBF-Application), and after treatment (SBF-Termination).

SBF-Termination at -105 mmHg NPT (152.7 ± 33.7 perfusion units (PU)) showed a significantly higher SBF than at -125 mmHg NPT (77.5 ± 19.2 PU, P = 0.026) or -145 mmHg NPT (65.2 ± 12.7 PU, P = 0.012). Statistical relevance was found at -105 mmHg NPT between SBF-Application and SBF-Termination (r=0.890,P < 0.001).

This study indicates that a -105 mmHg NPT dosage can effectively increase SBF. Our research contributes to the emerging field of scar treatment and provides evidence-based recommendations.