Gunshot injury of the foot: treatment and procedures--a role of negative pressure wound therapy.

Civilian gunshot injuries of the foot are not so common in Croatia. They are related with accidents in hunting or weapon cleaning. Gunshot injuries represent a special challenge for surgeon because of specific anatomical relations and biomechanical function of the foot. We have decided to present a patient with a complex foot injury caused by hunting firearm in self-inflicted accident. A 45-year-old male presented with 12-gauge shotgun wound to his left foot. We found a complicated fracture with bone defect of 3rd, 4th and 5th metatarsals and wide soft tissue injury with skin and subcutaneous defect of the dorsal and lateral side of the foot. The wound was contaminated with numerous metal fragments, particles of rocks and ground. Surgical treatment was performed three hours after trauma and included extensive debridement of damaged soft tissue, removing of the non-viable bone and metal fragments, rocks and other foreign bodies. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) was applicated in the operating table. The starting therapy was continuously -125 mm Hg of vacuum. We continued with intermittent therapy of -100 mm Hg and change NPWT dressing every fourth day. After four weeks of NPWT the defect was filled with granulation tissue and split thickness skin graft was applied. Skin graft was additionally fixed with NPWT using continuous therapy at -100 mm Hg for a period of four days. Forthy days after injury there was a complete healing of all soft tissue. Control X-ray showed good bone healing process.