TR2Lab was represented at the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) 2026 Conference by PhD candidate Clara Masó, who participated in this leading international event dedicated to advances in wound care, clinical practice, and translational research.

This work was carried out with the collaboration of other members of TR2Lab, including Marta Casals-Zorita, Natàlia Palacio-Arronis, Marta Otero-Viñas and Marta Ferrer-Solà.

During the congress, Clara Masó delivered an oral communication entitled “Impact of Punch Skin Grafting on the Quality of Life of Patients with Hard-to-Heal Wounds”. The presentation focused on the importance of evaluating patient-reported outcomes, particularly health-related quality of life (HRQoL), in individuals suffering from complex, non-healing wounds.

The aim of the study was to assess HRQoL, pain, and healing outcomes in patients treated with punch skin grafting. This prospective observational study included patients with complex non-healing wounds of different etiologies treated in a specialized wound care unit. Sociodemographic data, wound healing outcomes, pain levels, and HRQoL were collected using the Wound-QoL-17 questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive non-parametric statistics.

A total of 76 patients with 118 wounds were included in the study, with venous ulcers being the most prevalent etiology. The mean age of the participants was 75.5 years, and 48.7% were female. Baseline pain levels did not differ significantly by gender or age but showed significant variation across wound etiologies, with Martorell ulcers presenting the highest pain levels and neuropathic ulcers the lowest.

Over time, HRQoL improved in patients with Martorell, venous, traumatic, and neuroischemic ulcers, remained stable in neuropathic wounds, and worsened in arterial ulcers. The Wound-QoL domains most affected were frustration due to prolonged healing time, wound-related pain, and concern about the ulcer. By the end of therapy, 81 of the 118 wounds had healed (68.6%). In addition, 20 wounds showed a reduction in size, while 20 wounds did not show any improvement.

The results suggest that the effectiveness of punch skin grafting in reducing pain and improving HRQoL is strongly dependent on wound etiology. These findings highlight the importance of appropriate patient selection and support the need for alternative or intensified therapeutic strategies in certain wound types, particularly arterial ulcers.

Participation in EWMA 2026 provided a valuable opportunity to present TR2Lab’s research to the international scientific community, exchange knowledge with wound care professionals, and reinforce the laboratory’s commitment to evidence-based and patient-centered research aimed at improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with hard-to-heal wounds.