The effects of locally applied procaine on wound healing

Abstract

Objective: The goals of this study were: (1) To determine the efficacy of 2% procaine (the most commonly used concentra- tion) in wound healing; and (2) To determine the proper open wound injection site. Materials and Methods: Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 250 and 350 g were used. Two full thickness defects were made on two sides of the midline 1 cm away from midline. The skin wound areas were approxi- mately 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm. The animals were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1 (control group, n = 8), Group 2 (injection directly into the base of wound, n = 8), and Group 3 (injection into healthy skin around the peripheral margins of the wound, n = 8). Mechanical analyses of wound tensile strength of were evaluated in all groups. Results: Wound closure was first seen in Group 3 on day 14. Mean wound healing times were 18.25 days, 16.25 days, and 15.62 days, and mean tensile strength was 777.13 cN, 988.25 cN, and 1068.25 cN in the Groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Conclusions: Procaine did not cause any necrosis around the wound, did not retard wound healing, did not cause circu- lation deficiency, and did not reduce the breaking strength of the wound. Therefore, it can be safely used to reduce pain around the wound and to accelerate the healing process of slow-to-heal wounds.