Successful upper extremity limb salvage using cellular- and tissue-based products in a patient with uncontrolled diabetes

Abstract

Introduction: Uncontrolled diabetes causes dysfunction in all stages of wound healing, including greatly delayed wound closure owing to impaired angiogenesis. CTPs play an important role in advanced wound care, especially in complex diabetic wounds. The 3 categories of CTP are ECMs, amniotic tissues, and composite products that combine living cells and a collagen matrix. These products are available as xenografts or allografts, or as bioengineered products. ECMs provide a biological scaffold to facilitate wound healing, and these tend to modulate the wound environment and become incorporated into the wound bed.

Case report: A right-hand dominant female with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes presented with a complex nonhealing wound of the right upper extremity; the patient was treated with CTPs after surgical intervention (incision and drainage of the abscess, open carpal tunnel release, forearm fasciotomy, and excisional debridement) for a deep forearm abscess. Exposed critical structures included flexor tendons and the median nerve. The patient received a single application of a meshed dermal regeneration template, an application of minimally processed human umbilical cord membrane, and an application of acellular fish skin, resulting in successful wound reconstruction and improved function of the right upper extremity.

Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first described use of acellular fish skin in the setting of upper extremity reconstruction.