Comparative Analysis of Inflammatory Response in Surgical Wound Drainage Fluid in Scoliosis Surgery: A Study of Neuromuscular vs. Idiopathic Patients

This study examines immune and inflammatory responses in draining wound fluid over the course of the early stages of wound healing in patients recovering from spinal fusion surgery. The inflammatory phase of wound healing is essential for setting the stage for successful tissue repair and preventing chronic or poorly healing wounds. Scoliosis can be idiopathic or occur secondary to neuromuscular disorders, which are known to be associated with poor wound healing outcomes. We hypothesized that neuromuscular scoliosis patients would exhibit differences in inflammatory wound healing markers compared to idiopathic scoliosis patients. Comparison of the cellular and cytokine contents of draining wound fluid revealed that several inflammatory cytokines were elevated in the neuromuscular scoliosis patient group compared to idiopathic, whereas the leukocyte contents were the same between groups. This study shows that draining wound fluid is a good source of cellular and soluble biomarkers for acute wound healing and can be used to determine changes in individuals at risk for wound healing complications.