Flap reconstruction of pressure ulcers in patients with spinal cord injury: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

Study design: Retrospective case series.

Objectives: To describe our five-year experience of surgical excision and flap reconstruction of pressure ulcers in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Tertiary spinal centre in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom.

Methods: All spinal injury patients that underwent surgical reconstruction of pressure ulcers at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital National Spinal Injury Centre between 2018 and 2022 inclusive were included. Ulcers underwent 'pseudotumour' excision followed by either immediate or staged flap reconstruction. The primary outcome was complete healing at one year. Secondary outcomes included flap loss, complications, and return to theatre.

Results: 52 cases were included across 44 patients. 43 cases (82.7%) underwent immediate debridement and reconstruction. The mean number of procedures was 1.9 (range 1-6). Local flaps were used in 22 (41.5%) cases. There was one (1.9%) free flap (anterolateral thigh), eight (15.4%) pedicled flaps, and 21 (39.6%) flaps based on single perforators. 49 cases completed follow-up; 41 (83.7%) were healed at one year after their initial surgery. Immediate reconstructions were 36.7% more likely to achieve healing at this time point than staged cases (P = .028, Fisher's exact). There was partial or total flap loss in 15 (28.8%) cases. Thirty-nine complications were seen in 24 (46.2%) cases. Twenty-three cases (44.2%) required returns to theatre.

Conclusions: Surgical debridement with flap reconstruction is a safe and reliable treatment approach for pressure ulcers in those with SCI, with a complication rate comparable to existing literature. Immediate flap reconstruction and local flap designs may be associated with a lower risk of complications and higher healing rates.