Droitwich Knee Clinic, Worcestershire, UK.
A new technique in surgical dressing is described which is a combination of a semi-permeable dressing and suction drainage. This dressing has been used successfully in 20 orthopaedic patients without any wound complication and with satisfactory comfort to the patient. This form of post-operative wound management appears to retain the nursing and hygiene advantages of suction drainage, whilst avoiding the patient discomfort and the possibilities of wound infection, associated with deep internal drainage.