Treatment of acute wounds in hand with Calendula officinalis L.: A randomized trial

Abstract

Most injuries in the hand and fingers, especially on the digital pulps, are suited for healing by secondary intention. Nevertheless, delay in epithelization seems to unfavorably restrict this technique. The purpose of this controlled randomized clinical trial is to analyze by means of photo planimetry the progression of the healing process by secondary intention in acute wounds of the hand using the standardized extract of Calendula officinalis L. (SEC). The cohort of eligible participants included two groups of 20 patients with skin loss in the hand and fingers treated by secondary intention. Control group (CG) used mineral oil and intervention group (IG) received SEC. Wound pictures were captured at each outpatient assessment until epithelization was achieved and measured with ImageJ. Intervention group (IG) and control group (CG) with 19 wounds each, primarily formed by men in their 40's with wounds in their index and ring fingers on the left side, showed homogeneous variables and similar initial wound areas. Epithelization time was shorter and healing speed was faster in IG (IG = 8.6 ± 4.7 days and 9.5 ± 5.8%day versus CG = 13.2 ± 7.4 days and 6.2 ± 2.9%day, ƿ < 0.05), leading to the conclusion that healing by secondary intention in acute wounds of the hand and fingers with SEC led to a faster epithelization.

Keywords: Calendula officinalis; Wound healing; finger injuries.

Figure 1.

Final stage of wound healing by second intention in the index finger. (a): Exemplifies an area in process of epithelization that keeps a central small granulation area (b): Close detail of the small granulation zone measured with ImageJ software. In black, the outline of the margins between the granulation process and the area already epithelialized. The measurement of this granulation area was the one used for statistical calculations (c): Epithelialized wound.

Figure 2.

Kaplan Meier curve: Evolution of epithelialization in groups. The curves demonstrate the cumulative proportion of wounds that epithelized over time. Solid line represents intervention group and dotted line represents control group. Logrank test ƿ = 0.02.

Figure 3.

Intervention group clinical evolution. (a): Shows initial area of 418.1 mm². (b): Clinical aspect at 7 days. (c): Epithelization at 14 days. Male, 23 years old.