Treatment of Recurrent Pressure Injury Using an Allograft Adipose Matrix

Abstract

A 77-year-old man with a more than 10-year history of a spinal cord injury developed bilateral trochanteric stage 3 pressure injuries (PIs) several years ago. They initially healed. The right trochanteric PI opened again and continued to reopen every 2 to 3 months, likely because of deficient adipose layer in the area of the healed PI.

To treat the recurrent PI, providers injected a total of 3 mL of allograft adipose matrix into the ulcerated area of the right trochanter PI in a fanning fashion to increase subcutaneous cushioning over the bony prominence. Silicone foam was used to assist with pressure reduction for the first month. When the ulcerations healed at 1 month, the silicone foam was discontinued, and an emollient ointment was applied bilaterally to provide both the currently affected site and healed scar tissue with moisture and enhanced barrier function. Follow-up examinations were completed at 1, 3, 7, 11, 14, 16, 19, 22, and 24 months; the ulcerations remained closed, and no new PIs developed.

The authors propose that allograft adipose matrix is a potential treatment modality for recurrent PIs needing a supplemented subcutaneous layer that other modalities cannot provide. Further use is ongoing in clinical scenarios when there is deficient adipose layer such as recurrent PIs or to prevent PI deterioration in early stages.