Applications of Amniotic Membranes in the Management of Venous Leg Ulcers A Scoping Review

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common type of chronic lower-extremity wound, affecting approximately 1–3% of the adult population worldwide. They arise from chronic venous hypertension and insufficiency, generating a persistent inflammatory microenvironment that impairs normal wound healing. Despite multilayer compression therapy being the cornerstone of standard care, up to 50% of VLUs remain unhealed at 24 weeks, imposing a significant burden on patients' quality of life and healthcare systems. In recent years, human amniotic membrane (HAM) derivatives have emerged as promising advanced biological therapies due to their rich content of growth factors (EGF, VEGF, TGF-β), extracellular matrix proteins, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Although multiple clinical studies and early systematic reviews have explored their use in VLUs, the full extent of available evidence across membrane types, study designs, populations, and outcomes remains incompletely characterized.