articlePlastic & Reconstructive SurgerySep 29, 2004Closed access

Vacuum-Assisted Closure: Microdeformations of Wounds and Cell Proliferation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Boston Children's Hospital · +3 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

The mechanism of action of the Vacuum Assisted Closure Therapy (VAC; KCI, San Antonio, Texas), a recent novel innovation in the care of wounds, remains unknown. In vitro studies have revealed that cells allowed to stretch tend to divide and proliferate in the presence of soluble mitogens, whereas retracted cells remain quiescent. The authors hypothesize that application of micromechanical forces to wounds in vivo can promote wound healing through this cell shape-dependent, mechanical control mechanism. The authors created a computer model (finite element) of a wound and simulated VAC application. Finite element modeling is commonly used to engineer complex systems by breaking them down into simple discrete…

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