Kirschner Wires Combined With Elastic Tape for Multilayer Tension-Reducing Repair of a Large Stage 4 Pressure Injury
Summary: This case report in *Wounds* (Aug 2025) describes an 89-year-old male with a stage 4 pressure injury over the greater trochanter treated with debridement followed by multilayer tension-reducing repair using Kirschner wires plus elastic tape. The combined technique achieved full closure and satisfactory skin and sensory recovery at 6-month follow-up.
Key Highlights:
- Large, deep pressure injury (>10 × 7.5 cm) that had purulence and necrosis; multiple debridements required before reconstruction.
- Reconstruction involved Kirschner wires as an internal frame alongside elastic tape for tension reduction of the repair layers.
- Complete healing achieved by day 102 of hospitalization; postoperative follow-ups showed durable closure and recovery of appearance and sensation.
- Technique may be useful in similar large, tension-challenging stage 4 injuries, especially in areas like trochanter or sacrum where closure under tension often fails.
Read the full case report in *Wounds*
Keywords:
tension reducing repair,
Kirschner wires,
stage 4 pressure injury,
greater trochanter,
elastic tape support