# A Comparative Study of the Improved Negative-Pressure Drainage Tube and the Penrose Silicone Drainage Tube: Which Is More Beneficial for Wounds from Deep Infections Healing? A Rabbit Model Study

## TL;DR

This study compares new and old drainage tubes in rabbits to see which helps heal deep infected wounds better.

## Contribution

The study introduces an improved negative-pressure drainage tube and evaluates its efficacy in wound healing.

## Key findings

- Group E (improved drainage with irrigation) had significantly lower skin temperature on day 14.
- Improved drainage tubes showed better drainage volume and promoted better wound healing than Penrose drains.
- Histological analysis showed Group E had normal muscle tissue structure.

## Abstract

Postoperative orthopedic wounds frequently lead to deep infections, and conventional drainage tubes exhibit inadequate drainage capacity. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of an innovative and improved negative-pressure wound irrigation drainage tube in enhancing infection control and facilitating wound healing.

Forty New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to five groups: A (control), B (abscess model), C (Penrose drain), D (improved negative-pressure wound irrigation drainage tube with drainage), and E (improved negative-pressure wound irrigation drainage tube with drainage and irrigation). A deep wound infection model was established, and its success was assessed using Gram staining and mass spectrometry. Daily weight, temperature, and drainage volume were recorded for each rabbit group. In vitro cellular experiments were performed to assess the biocompatibility of the materials. Histological examinations were conducted on postoperative day 14 to evaluate wound healing.

Bacterial culture demonstrated the consistent presence of primary pathogenic bacteria in all groups, confirming the successful establishment of the model. Following surgery, all rabbit groups showed a consistent increase in body weight with no significant variation (P > 0.05). On day 14, the average skin temperature of Group E was significantly lower than that of the other groups (P < 0.001). The average total drainage volumes on day 14 were 9.03 ± 0.60 ml for Group C and 10.49 ± 0.99 ml for Group D, indicating significantly higher drainage in Group D than in Group C (P < 0.05). In vitro experiments demonstrated that the product had no adverse effect on the viability and proliferation of fibroblast cells. Histological analyses indicated that muscle tissue structure was normal in Group A, exhibited cell loss with inflammatory cell infiltration in Group B, displayed slight abnormalities with mild fibrosis in Group C, showed mild irregularities with a relatively organized arrangement of muscle cells in Group D, and remained essentially normal in Group E.

The improved negative-pressure wound irrigation drainage tube demonstrated distinct advantages over the conventional Penrose silicone drain in controlling inflammation, optimizing wound treatment, and promoting wound healing in deep wound infections.