Debridement. Of the three described actions of maggot
therapy, debridement (physical and chemical) is the best
studied. Each maggot is capable of removing 25 mg of
necrotic material from the wound within just 24 hrs [8].
The physical mechanics of maggot debridement [6, 9] are
readily apparent to anyone who has seen the larvae under
the microscope. Larvae are covered by minute spines which
scrape along the wound base as the maggots crawl about,
loosening debris as does a surgeon’s rasper or file (Figure 1).
The mandibles, in the form of “mouth hooks,” are used to
help pull the maggot’s body forward as it crawls and to
probe every nook and cranny for food or shelter. The maggot
does not “bite off ” pieces of tissue, but it rather secretes
and excretes its digestive enzymes (alimentary secretionsEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine