Ana Derzi
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Andressa Masson
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Carla Chavarria
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Caterina Paiva
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
Cristiane Paganoti
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Daniel Abad
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Daniella Audi
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
Dermevel Neto
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Dominique Schakel
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Elianet Castillo
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Felipe Cordova
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Fernanda Malta
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hans-Udo Richarz
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Fascia Research Group, Department of Experimental Anesthesia, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
Helio Grullon
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Iloba Njokanma
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Surgery, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
Ivan Duarte
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Jose Fermin
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Karen Bedirian
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Immune Oncology Research Institute, Yerevan, Armenia; Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, Yerevan, Armenia
Kendya Reyes
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Krista Cano
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Lucia Salgueiro
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Hospital General de Niños “Pedro de Elizalde”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mobalaji Jaiyesimi
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Monaly Ribeiro
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Nicol Ortega
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Onyekachi Aniume
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Morbid Anatomy, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu
Paula Sotelo
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Traumatology – Hand Surgery, Hospital del Trabajador; Hand Surgery Department, MEDS Clinic, Santiago, Chile
Santiago Pastrana
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
Stefania Zapata
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Tomas Marquez
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Vanessa Lessa
Principles and Practice of Clinical Research Program, Executive and Continuing Professional Education (ECPE), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Irmandade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil and Clinica Cukiert, São Paulo, Brazil
Abstract
Background: Vitamin C increases the proliferation of dermal fibroblasts, this favors the collagen synthesis and wound healing. However, there is no solid evidence to support this practice.
Main objective: This review aims to evaluate the effects of vitamin C supplementation in soft tissue wound healing.
Methods: We searched 3 databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane) and included randomized controlled studies until July 10th, 2024, that evaluated the effect of vitamin C administered by any route in wound healing of skin and soft tissues. We excluded traumatic injuries and burns. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB-1) tool.
Results: We identified 10 relevant studies, including 599 participants. Findings were summarized qualitatively and a meta-analysis was not feasible because of significant heterogeneity of settings and outcomes between the studies. Studies that evaluated the effect of vitamin C on healing in the dental setting and on ulcers had mostly positive results, while studies on corneal tissue and hysterectomy did not show a significant effect. All articles were unicentric and small, with unclear or high risk of bias except for one low risk study.
Conclusions: The available literature studying vitamin C in wound healing is inconsistent. Relatively, few studies exist and have a small number of participants in different clinical scenarios, mainly with high or unclear risk of bias. Larger and higher quality studies are warranted. Also, this intervention is simple and has low cost. Further investigation on this topic may impact patient’s quality of life and healthcare economic burden.
