Kevin G Kim, BS; Manas Nigam, MD; Jenna C Bekeny, BA; Cameron M Akbari, MD, MBA; John S Steinberg, DPM; Christopher E Attinger, MD; Kenneth L Fan, MD; Karen K Evans, MD
Chronic wounds are those that do not regain normal functional and anatomic characteristics within 3 months, and they can be broadly classified into the following 4 categories: pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, and arterial insufficiency ulcers.[1] Data indicate that chronic wounds affect 1% to 2% of the population in economically developed countries, with rates as high as 15% in certain populations, namely Medicare beneficiaries in the United States.[1,2] Patient-reported outcomes for physical functioning and pain are consistently low in the setting of a chronic lower extremity wound, which has broad implications for quality of life, mortality, and cost.[3] Chronic wounds are also a significant driver of cost in the US health care system. Estimated Medicare spending for all wound types was $28.1 billion to $96.8 billion … read more