Clinical and histochemical response to automated microneedling therapy in treatment of traumatic scars

Abstract

Background: Post traumatic skin injuries are challenging to manage. Patients may have erythematous, hypertrophic, or atrophic scars. Microneedling therapy is minimally invasive non-surgical and non-ablative procedure used for skin rejuvenation that relies on the principle of neocollagenesis. Aim: We aimed to assess the clinical and histochemical response to automated microneedling therapy in treatment of traumatic scars. Methods: This prospective study included twenty patients with traumatic scars. All patients received 4 monthly sessions of automated microneedling therapy. Outcome assessment included modified Vancouver Scar Scale, digital photographic documentation and patient's satisfaction. Histochemical evaluation by quantitative morphometric assessment for collagen and elastic fibers using image analyzer performed before and 3 months after treatment for Masson’s trichrome and Orcein stained sections respectively. Results: There was statistically significant improvement in scar vascularity (p= 0.018), scar pigmentation (p= 0.008), and scar pliability (p= 0.002) and sum of mVSS (P=0.000002). Histochemically, there was significant increase in collagen content, (p= 0.023), and elastin content (p= 0.003) as quantified by image analyzer. There was no significant correlations (r: 0.158 and -0.259; p-values: 0.55 and 0.34) between micro-needling therapy and scar type (atrophic versus hypertrophic).