Pulsed Radio Frequency as an Adjunctive Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury Chronic Wounds

A wound can pose a significant health problem for any individual but when a spinal cord injury (SCI) patient develops a wound it can become debilitating and can leave the patient more immobile. A SCI with a long-term chronic wound puts the patient at risk for further health issues such as infection, osteomyelitis or ischemic changes. Not enough research has been done to state why SCI wounds are  difficult to heal. Therapies used for treatment of such wounds include therapies such as negative pressure, collagen wound or silver dressing, 1/4 strength Dakin’s and foam dressings. After treatment therapies have failed in an attempt to close the SCI's wound, the question is will adding pulsed radio frequency (PRF) assist in decreasing the surface area promoting closure? Three SCI 30-70 year old males with chronic wounds will be treated with PRF 30 minutes BID along with an appropriate topical dressing for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, pictures, wound measurements and patient's demographical data will be obtained. Patient outcome will be to see a reduction in size of the wound bed after beginning PRF. Objectives influencing the study are patient compliance with the PRF and compliance with other modalities such as position changes, support surfaces, dressing changes, and nutritional support. Questions to pose; Are there any other benefits in using the PRF? (i.e. decrease in pain).  If results show the SCI patient wounds have shown a reduction in size, do we initiate the PRF early in the treatment plan and how will this benefit the patient? (i.e. less suffering, decrease cost). Why did initiating PRF "jump-start" the wound to heal after it had been stagnant? Further research will need to be completed as to why SCI patients have difficult to heal wounds.  Is it because they lack muscle tone which compresses against the vessels to supply the blood flow that carries the oxygen and the nutrients that assists in healing wounds?