Staged Soft Tissue Reconstruction of Traumatic Right Foot Degloving Using Wound Matrix.

BACKGROUND

Traumatic degloving injuries of the foot are rare but carry a substantial risk of limb loss, particularly in the presence of exposed underlying tendon, bone, or joints. We present a case report of a severe traumatic foot degloving managed with staged reconstruction using a biodegradable temporizing matrix (BTM) followed by split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) to achieve limb salvage.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A 22-year-old male patient sustained a severe right foot degloving injury, with several associated metatarsophalangeal dislocations and fractures, following a traumatic rail-car injury. Management consisted of serial surgical debridement and negative pressure wound therapy, followed by application of the BTM to generate a vascularized wound bed, followed by STSG.

RESULTS

After 12 weeks of outpatient wound care following BTM application to the foot degloving wound, the patient underwent STSG with a successful graft-take. The patient achieved full wound healing without complication and successful limb salvage at 7-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This case illustrates the success and utility of a staged surgical approach, combined with a synthetic dermal matrix to achieve durable soft tissue coverage and limb salvage following a severe traumatic degloving injury of the foot.