Surgical treatment of isolated soft tissue gunshot shrapnel injuries by combining primary delayed sutures with platelet-rich autoplasma injections into mine-explosive wounds
Authors: Zavhorodnii S. M. , Kotenko O. I. , Danyliuk M. B. , Kubrak M. A. 
Published: July 2023

Aim: to assess the treatment effectiveness in patients with soft tissue gunshot shrapnel injuries by applying primary delayed sutures in combination with platelet-rich autoplasma injections into wounds.
Materials and methods. The study included 60 (100.0 %) patients with soft tissue gunshot shrapnel wounds. All wounded were divided into two groups. The comparison group consisted of 30 (50.0 %) patients admitted to a hospital with primary delayed sutures (6–7 days). The main group included 30 (50.0 %) patients whose local treatment modification consisted in a combination of primary delayed suturing with platelet-rich autoplasma injection into a wound. A wound channel was observed on the 8th, 11th –14th days from the moment of injury using visual inspection, linear measurements and diagnostic ultrasound system (Mindray M6, 220A).
Results. 60 (100.0 %) patients were urgently hospitalized to the third stage of medical evacuation and treated according to standard treatment protocols for this pathology at the third stage of evacuation. According to a wound defect localization, the wounded of the comparison groups, 30 (50.00 %), were distributed as follows: a lower limb wound – 22 (73.33 %) patients, an upper limb wound – 6 (20.00 %), and a trunk wound – 2 (6.67 %). The main group also included 30 (50.00 %) wounded, whose treatment at the third stage of medical evacuation was modified by using a combination of primary delayed sutures and platelet-rich autoplasma injection. On the 8th day after an injury, a visual inspection of the wounds detected no hyperemia or suppuration in both groups. The visual inspection of wounds in the comparison group at 11.0 ± 3.9 days post-injury revealed 24 (80.00 %) patients with complications such as seromas in 17 (56.67 %) cases, hematomas with wound suppuration – in 7 (23.33 %). In the main group, 2 (6.67 %) cases of wound suppuration were detected (U = 120.00, p = 0.000001). The basic parameters of wound linear measurements according to the diagnostic ultrasound system data at the 11th–14th day post-injury after primary and delayed suturing in the studied groups: in the comparison group, upper limb wounds – S (mm2) 43.3 ± 12.6, V (mm3) 53.3 ± 13.9; lower limb wounds – S (mm2) 194.7 ± 50.7, V (mm3) 706.3 ± 190.4; trunk wounds – S (mm2) 20.5 ± 7.2, V (mm3) 22.5 ± 5.4. In the main group, upper limb wounds – S (mm2) 28.2 ± 8.5, V (mm3) 23.2 ± 7.1; lower limb wounds – S (mm2) 56.4 ± 19.6, V (mm3) 102.4 ± 21.1; trunk wounds – S (mm2) 12.3 ± 3.2, V (mm3) 10.4 ± 2.9. The total duration of inpatient treatment at the 3rd stage of medical evacuation in the comparison group wounded was 30.0 ± 2.3 days, and in the main group it was 12.0 ± 3.1 days (U = 290.00, p = 0.0354).
Conclusions. In the structure of gunshot shrapnel wounds in both groups, there were 43 (71.67 %) lower limb traumatic injuries, 11 (18.33 %) upper limb, and 6 (10.00 %) trunk injuries. The use of platelet-rich autoplasma in combination with primary delayed suturing stimulated wound healing and accelerated wound-healing process as evidenced by a significant decrease in the wound defect area and volume on the 11th–14th day post-injury in the main group compared to the comparison group. The method for treatment of gunshot shrapnel wounds developed by us reduced the frequency of postoperative complications since 24 (80.00 %) patients were diagnosed with complications in the comparison group, while only 2 (6.67 %) patients in the main group (U = 120.00, p = 0.00001). The use of platelet-rich autoplasma made it possible to reduce the length of hospital stay for patients at the third stage of medical evacuation: in the comparison group, this period was 30.0 ± 2.3 days, and in the main group, 12.0 ± 3.1 days (U = 290.00, p = 0.0354).