Pan JL, Xing H, Li Y, Chang ZQ. Successful treatment of a non-healing lumbar incision post-radiotherapy using vacuum sealing drainage: A case report. World J Orthop 2025; 16(11): 112307 [DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.112307]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Zheng-Qi Chang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief Physician, Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of PLA, No. 25 Shifan Road, Tianqiao District, Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China. 26766771@qq.com
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Orthopedics
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Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 18, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 20, 2025
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World Journal of Orthopedics
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2218-5836
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Pan JL, Xing H, Li Y, Chang ZQ. Successful treatment of a non-healing lumbar incision post-radiotherapy using vacuum sealing drainage: A case report. World J Orthop 2025; 16(11): 112307 [DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.112307]
World J Orthop. Nov 18, 2025; 16(11): 112307 Published online Nov 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.112307
Successful treatment of a non-healing lumbar incision post-radiotherapy using vacuum sealing drainage: A case report
Jun-Lin Pan, Hao Xing, Yi Li, Zheng-Qi Chang
Jun-Lin Pan, Department of Reproductive Medicine, The 960th Hospital of PLA, Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China
Hao Xing, Zheng-Qi Chang, Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of PLA, Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China
Yi Li, Department of Oncology, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming 650032, Yunnan Province, China
Author contributions: Pan JL and Chang ZQ made substantial contributions to data acquisition, analysis and interpretation; Xing H and Chang ZQ performed all the surgeries; Li Y and Chang ZQ were responsible for the study conception and design, and the manuscript drafting and writing. All authors confirm the authenticity of all the raw data.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zheng-Qi Chang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Chief Physician, Department of Orthopedics, The 960th Hospital of PLA, No. 25 Shifan Road, Tianqiao District, Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China. 26766771@qq.com
Received: July 24, 2025 Revised: August 19, 2025 Accepted: October 10, 2025 Published online: November 18, 2025 Processing time: 113 Days and 16.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The current method of cleaning and changing dressings for non-healing lumbar incisions post-radiotherapy is time-consuming and laborious, with very poor results. We here report a patient with radiation dermatitis who developed a non-healing wound after lumbar spinal surgery. The wound was successfully treated with vacuum sealing drainage therapy, confirming its feasibility in complex wound healing.
CASE SUMMARY
The patient was a 76-year-old female with lung cancer, positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed bone metastasis in L2 and L3 vertebrae. After 2 months of local radiotherapy to the lumbar spine, symptoms did not improve and pain worsened. She had lumbar lesion clearance and internal fixation surgery, but developed a nonhealing wound of approximately 15 cm postoperatively. After 12 rounds of clearing necrotic and unhealthy tissue, 78 days of negative pressure therapy promoted granulation tissue growth and wound healing, resulting in wound healing.
CONCLUSION
Vacuum sealing drainage therapy has shown efficacy in treating nonhealing wounds after radiotherapy, promoting wound healing and reducing infection risk.
Core Tip: Treating non-healing lumbar incision post-radiotherapy is challenging, especially for midline incisions after lumbar spine surgery, which are difficult to heal. The current approach involves repeated wound cleaning and dressing changes, with unsatisfactory results. We used vacuum sealing drainage in a patient with radiation dermatitis who developed a non-healing wound after lumbar spinal surgery. The method is not only simple to perform but also shows clinical effectiveness. This is the first case of non-healing lumbar incision post-radiotherapy successfully treated using closed negative pressure drainage.
