The Use of Acellular Products in Venous Leg Ulcers: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND: Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common type of chronic wound in the lower extremity and are often associated with redness, swelling, and pain at the site of the wound. The primary focus of VLU treatment is the promotion of wound healing through compression therapy, wound debridement, and elevation of the affected limb. Acellular matrices have gained traction as a potential adjunct to wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. However, the clinical effect of acellular products in the setting of VLUs has not been well reported. OBJECTIVE: To review the published evidence on the use of acellular products in the management of VLUs. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases were initially searched on March 2, 2023, for literature on VLU and acellular dermal matrix. Later, the search was broadened to include any and all acellular matrices, and a secondary search of the same databases was conducted on February 20, 2024. Articles obtained through collateral methods were also included. RESULTS: A total of 27 articles were identified for review. All studies were human studies. Four articles had level I evidence and 7 articles had level II evidence, while the remaining articles had level III or IV evidence. Studies included both large and small wound sizes ranging from 0.5 cm² to 100 cm2. Product application occurred once to twice weekly for 4 weeks to up to 36 months. Overall, regardless of ulcer size, the majority of studies reported favorable wound healing outcomes with the use of a variety of acellular skin coverage products with few complications. Some studies also reported pain reduction with the use of acellular skin substitutes in a small cohort of patients. CONCLUSION: Acellular products appear to have the potential to support healing in VLUs. However, more large-scale randomized controlled trials that provide level I evidence are needed.