Page 45 - JCTR-10-5

Journal of Clinical and Translational Research 2024; 10(5): 307-316

Journal of Clinical and Translational Research

Journal homepage: http://www.jctres.com/en/home

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Processed microvascular tissue improves healing in a case series of
challenging wounds

Jonathan F. Arnold *, Douglas M. Arm 2
1
1 The Healing Center at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States of America, MicroVascular Tissues, Inc., San Diego,
2
California, United States of America
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Innovations in Wound Healing)

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history: Background: Healthy microvasculature provides nutrient and oxygen delivery and removes waste
Received: August 31, 2024 metabolites critical for sustained tissue viability and function after wound healing. Processed
Accepted: November 2, 2024 microvascular tissue (PMVT), a novel allograft, aims to directly address the compromised
Published Online: November 22, 2024 microvasculature found in chronic and complex wounds.
Aim: Building on a Level 1 randomized controlled trial demonstrating improved healing and
Keywords: lower extremity sensation with PMVT in neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers, along with a sub-study
Microvascular tissue demonstrating increased wound area blood flow, this article details the authors’ clinical experience
Wound healing with PMVT in a case series of challenging wounds, including diabetic foot ulcer, Charcot foot
Diabetic foot ulcer ulcer, venous leg ulcer, and Mohs surgical wound cases.
Charcot foot Methods: Patients received weekly or semi-weekly topical PMVT treatment until wound
Venous leg ulcer sites demonstrated active healing with evidence of good microcirculation and progressing re-
Mohs defect epithelialization. In all cases, PMVT was covered with a non-adherent dressing and left untouched
Advanced wound care between visits. Patients were directed not to change the wound dressing, to comply with standard
Case series care guidance appropriate for each of their wounds, and to return weekly for assessment of the
wound and (if needed) reapplication of the PMVT product. Wound size was measured using a ruler
*Corresponding author: at each visit.
Jonathan F. Arnold, M.D. Results: Closure criteria were 100% epithelialization with no maceration, exudate, or signs of
Medical Director, The Healing Center, infection. The topical application of PMVT successfully healed all challenging or at-risk wounds
Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, evaluated in this clinical case series.
United States of America. Conclusion: By repairing the deficient local microvasculature within and around the wounds,
Email: jarnold@mercycare.org PMVT was able to facilitate the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the ulcer and enable healing.
Relevance for Patients: PMVT demonstrates the potential to be a strong advanced wound care
© 2024 Author(s). This is an Open-Access technology for the treatment of chronic and complex wounds that are refractory to standard care.
article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial
License, permitting all non-commercial use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, 1. Introduction
provided the original work is properly cited.
Normal wound healing involves several sequential yet overlapping steps: hemostasis;
inflammation; migration, attachment, and proliferation of responding cells; angiogenesis;
re-epithelialization; and tissue remodeling [1-3]. Chronic non-healing wounds generally
fail to progress through the normal stages of healing, remaining stuck in the inflammation
stage. These affect about 3 – 6 million people in the United States of America (USA),
resulting in healthcare expenditures exceeding $3 billion/year [4].
Patients with a compromised blood supply are prone to developing ischemic tissue,
especially in the lower extremities furthest from the heart that also bear the burden of
supporting the body’s weight, creating a dangerous combination that leaves patients
susceptible to chronic skin wounds. The lack of vascularity in this tissue limits
DOI: http://doi.org/10.36922/jctr.24.00059