Use of Biodegradeable Temporizing Matrix Dermal Template for Reconstruction of Upper Extremity Soft Tissue Defects with Associated Tendon Injury

In cases of complex upper extremity soft tissue defects with exposed bone or tendon, the surgeon needs to consider both restoration of stable soft tissue coverage and functional outcomes, which requires early motion and a wound bed suitable for tendon gliding. Often, local, regional, or free flaps are necessary; however, good outcomes have also been reported after staged reconstruction with a dermal template and split-thickness skin grafting. To our knowledge, staged reconstruction with a dermal template has not been described for soft tissue defects with an associated underlying tendon injury requiring tenorrhaphy. We have previously reported our experience with a synthetic dermal template Novosorb BTM (Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix), Polynovo North America LLC. Carlsbad, Calif. for the reconstruction of complex upper extremity defects with exposed tendon and showed that it consistently and reliably integrates even when these patients were treated with an early, active therapy protocol. As a result of these findings, we hypothesized that BTM could potentially be used over a tendon repair site without compromising functional outcomes. Here, we report on clinical outcomes for two patients with upper extremity injury where BTM was applied directly over a tendon repair or transfer site and resulted in stable soft tissue coverage with excellent tendon gliding. These early results show that this approach might be considered as an alternative to autologous tissue reconstruction in these patients and could reduce donor site morbidity associated with flap harvest.