Topical zinc oxide treatment improves arterial and venous leg ulcers

Abstract

We performed a randomized, double-blind study of the efficacy of locally applied zinc oxide on the healing of leg ulcers. Thirty-seven geriatric patients, nineteen with arterial and eighteen with venous leg ulcers, were treated either with a gauze compress medicated with zinc oxide (400 micrograms ZnO/cm2) or with an identical compress without zinc oxide. The treatment was assessed from ulcer size measurements and the presence or absence of granulation and ulcer debridement over a period of 8 weeks. The zinc-treated patients (83% success rate) responded significantly better (P less than 0.05) than the placebo-treated patients (42% success rate). The results suggest that healing of leg ulcers is improved after the addition of zinc oxide to the local regimen.