(CS-127) Addressing Surgical Wound Dehiscence in Total Ankle Arthroplasty Revision with Fragmented Acellular Fish Skin Graft: A Case Study

Jonathan Hook, DPM – Weil Foot & Ankle Institute

Introduction: Surgical wound dehiscence in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) re-visions can lead to an unplanned and extremely poor prognosis for patients undergoing this elective procedure. Exposed TAA components are extremely susceptible to microbial surface contamination leading to ankle sepsis and osteomyelitis.1 In these cases, patients commonly need to be treated with long term intravenous antibiotics, staged surgical intervention, and even require below knee amputations.

Methods: A 74 year old male was taken to the operating room for a successful gutter debridement and replacement of the polyethylene spacer. seventh postoperative week where he was taken to the operating room for a wide debridement with application of a FAFSG. Patient postoperatively had weekly visits where two in office debridement and one application of FAFSG was performed. Patient achieved full wound closure at 6 weeks without removal of hardware

Results: Wound healed at 6 weeks

Discussion: Kerecis® Omega3 Wound graft (Kerecis), a new technology incorporating intact fish skin, is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.Acellular fish skin grafts contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids which enable wounds to transition from chronic into acute stages of healing.