Wound tension plays a key role in the process of wound healing and scar formation. Tension offloading devices have been reported to reduce postsurgical scar formation. This study aims to determine whether the application of a tension offloading device preoperatively would result in superior attenuation of scar genesis in comparison to traditional methods. Randomized, controlled trials were performed on 12 patients, 4 patients were treated both preoperatively and postoperatively, while the other 4 were treated only postoperatively. The remaining 4 patients did not receive any sort of intervention. The overall performance was analyzed over 6 months period. The skin elasticity coefficient improved significantly with the application of a tension-offloading device. Compared with control group, patients who received treatment via the device displayed a better result in scar width and regression of color. It was also shown that the use of a device in the group with twin pre-op and post-op intervention resulted in a reduction of the wound healing period in comparison to the post-op group. Application of a tension-offloading device preoperatively can reduce tensile forces acting on the incision, thereby resulting in faster wound healing and enhanced efficacy on postsurgical reapplication. The effectiveness of the device in preventing hypertrophic scar is likely to be improved by long-term application after operation.
Keywords: scar; skin elasticity; skin tension; tension offloading device; wound healing.
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.