Retrospective evaluation of postoperative intralesional steroid injections on wound healing

Steroids have been implicated as an etiology in delayed wound healing. Although there is much documentation in the literature that steroids delay wound healing, most studies are in vitro or use high systemic doses. No studies have used a one-time, postoperative, intralesional steroid injection and evaluated wound healing. This study retrospectively reviewed 73 patients with 115 foot and ankle surgeries over 12 years. Seventy-two patients had steroid injections and 43 did not. The average healing time for the steroid group was 17.1 +/- 10.5 days, and for the non-steroid group 17.3 +/- 8.75 days. There were two infections in the non-steroid group, and one infection in the steroid group. There were five dehiscences in each group. The patients were further subdivided into groups based on age, gender, number of procedures, type of surgery, health status, steroid type, and steroid dose. The healing time increased in patients > 60 years old, and in immunocompromised patients. The patients who had more complex surgery had increased healing time. The males had a longer healing time than the females. Overall, there was not a statistically significant difference between the steroid groups and the non-steroid group. Therefore, one-time postoperative intralesional steroid injections were not found to delay wound healing.