Correction of hypercromic palmar graft with split-thickness instep plantar graft: case report.

The plantar skin is the best donor site for grafting third-degree burn wounds onto volar aspect of hands and digits. In children, however, it is difficult to harvest the instep for a split-thickness graft. Most of these cases are treated with full-thickness or split-thickness skin grafts and dyspigmentation of the grafted area becomes a reality. We present a case of full-thickness graft hyperpigmentation that was treated with instep plantar graft.     

The 1999 clinical research award. Cultured skin substitutes combined with Integra Artificial Skin to replace native skin autograft and allograft for the closure of excised full-thickness burns

Prompt and permanent closure of excised full-thickness burns remains a critical factor in a patient's recovery from massive burn injuries. Hypothetically, Integra Artificial Skin (Integra) may replace the need for allografts for immediate wound coverage, and cultured skin substitutes (CSS) that contain stratified epithelium may replace the need for autografts for definitive wound closure. To test this hypothesis, 3 patients with full-thickness burns of greater than 60% of their total body surface areas had their eschar excised within 14 days of admission. Integra was applied, and a skin biopsy was collected from each patient for the preparation of CSS. At 3 weeks or more after the application of the Integra and the collection of skin biopsies, the outer silastic cover of the Integra was removed and CSS were grafted. The CSS were irrigated with nutrients and antimicrobials for 6 days and then dressed with antimicrobial ointment and cotton gauze. Treated wounds were traced on days 14 and 28 after the grafting of CSS for determination of engraftment and wound closure, respectively. Cost analysis was not performed. Engraftment on postoperative day (POD) 14 was 98%+/-1% (mean +/- standard error of the mean), the ratio of closed:donor areas on POD 28 was 52.3+/-5.2, and no treated sites required regrafting. The histology of the closed wounds showed stable epithelium that covered a layer of newly formed fibrovascular tissue above the reticulated structure of the degrading Integra. The clinical outcomes of the closed wounds after POD 28 demonstrated smooth, pliable, and hypopigmented skin. Two patients who had received CSS grafts over Integra on their backs were positioned supine on air beds from POD 8 or POD 9 with minimal graft loss because of mechanical loading. One patient with a full-thickness burn of 88% of the total body surface area was covered definitively at 55 days postburn. These results demonstrate that the combination of CSS and Integra can accomplish functionally stable and cosmetically acceptable wound closure in patients with extensive full-thickness burns. This combination of alternatives to the conventional grafting of split-thickness skin permits the substitution of cadaveric allograft with Integra and the substitution of donor autograft with CSS. This approach to the closure of excised full-thickness burns is expected to reduce greatly the time to definitive closure of burn wounds and to reduce the morbidity associated with the harvesting of donor sites for split-thickness skin autografts.     

Mini-abdominoplasty in burn reconstruction

The excision of excessive fat and subcutaneous tissue in the infraumbilical region, also known as "mini-abdominoplasty, " can be used to harvest skin for burn reconstruction. The resultant full-thickness grafts are less prone to contracture than split-thickness grafts. They are particularly useful in areas where mobility is important, such as the neck and areas overlying major joints. It allows a single-stage reconstruction with little donor site morbidity and favorable long-term functional outcomes. Multiple other donor sites have been reported, most commonly the groin and small pinch grafts on the trunk, but they provide only small amounts of skin when compared with the abdomen. The authors report 12 cases of patients who were treated for sequelae of burns with full-thickness abdominal skin grafts that were procured by mini-abdominoplasties for the sole purpose of obtaining the skin. The mini-abdominoplasty in this series was found to be an effective, safe technique that provides large amounts of full-thickness skin for reconstruction. While the size of the grafts varied with age and size of the abdomen, up to 40 × 15 cm can be obtained in adults. The donor site complications are rare but most commonly include seromas and dehiscence of the wound.     

The burned hemophiliac

Reports of the care of burned hemophiliac patients requiring cutaneous autografting are rare. A 28-year-old white male with classic hemophilia A sustained a 30.5% total body surface area burn. The patient received standard topical antimicrobial therapy and the majority of his burn wound healed. While undergoing therapy, multiple tooth extractions were recommended. On postburn day 25 the patient underwent multiple tooth extractions plus excision and grafting of his unhealed burn after preoperative infusion of cryoprecipitate. Despite a maximum factor VIII concentration of only 23%, no remarkable bleeding occurred from the excision sites, the skin graft donor site, or the tooth extraction wounds. Preoperative infusion of cryoprecipitate does not appear to be required for split-thickness skin graft harvest or excision of burns within the dermis.     

Incidence of the concrete scalp deformity associated with deep scalp donor sites and management with the Unna cap

The scalp has become a popular donor site for split-thickness skin grafts. This donor site does, however, have complications, including the concrete scalp deformity, which consists of hairs embedded in a thick, desiccated, exudative crust. This article presents our burn unit's experience with this complication. Fifty-six patients underwent scalp skin graft harvesting between 1984 and 1996. All grafts were quite thick and were used for resurfacing facial burns. Thirty-eight donor sites were treated with medicated gauze, and 18 were treated with the Unna cap, which is an Unna dressing applied over Aquaphor gauze (Beiersdorf, Norwalk, Conn). Eighteen of the 38 patients (32%) treated with medicated gauze developed the concrete scalp deformity. None of the patients treated with the Unna cap developed the deformity. Although useful, the deep scalp donor site has complications, including the concrete scalp deformity. However, with use of the Unna cap dressing, we have had no occurrences of this problem.     

Late outcomes after grafting of the severely burned face: a quality improvement initiative

Many approaches to surgical management of the severely burned face are described, but there are few objective outcome studies. The purpose of this study was to perform a detailed evaluation of the late outcomes in adult patients who have undergone grafting using a standardized surgical and rehabilitation approach for full-thickness (FT) facial burns to identify areas for improvement in the treatment strategy of authors. This was a prospective observational study in which patients who had undergone grafting for FT facial burns by the senior investigator at a regional burn centre between 1999 and 2010 were examined by a single evaluator. The surgical approach included tangential excision based on the facial aesthetic units, temporary cover with allograft then autografting with scalp skin preferentially, split grafts for the upper eyelid, and FT grafts for the lower eyelid. Rehabilitation included compression (uvex and or soft cloth), scar massage, and silicone gel sheeting. Of 35 patients with facial grafts, 14 subjects (age 43 ± 16 years with 22 ± 21% TBSA burns) returned for late follow-up at 40 ± 33 months (range, 5-91 months). A mean of four facial aesthetic units per patient were grafted (range, 1-9 units), with six full facial grafts performed. Scalp was used as donor in 10 of 14 cases. Scalp donor sites were well tolerated with minor alopecia visible in only one case although the donor site visibly extended slightly past the hairline in two cases. Color match with native skin was rated at 8.8 ± 0.8 of 10 when scalp skin was used compared with 7.5 ± 1.6 with other donor sites (P = .06). On the lip and chin, hypertrophic scars were significantly worse compared with the rest of the facial grafts (Vancouver scar scale 8 ± 2 vs 3 ± 1, P < .01). Sensory recovery was poor with overall moving two-point discrimination at 11 ± 3 mm (range, 4-15 mm), and monofilament light touch was 3.8 ± 0.6. Graft borders were significantly more elevated than graft seams. On the forehead, the most notable problem was a gap between the graft and hairlines of the frontal scalp and eyebrows (range, 0-40 mm). Grafted eyelids required one or more subsequent ectropion releases in the majority of cases. The most common problem for the nose was asymmetry of the nostril apertures. The most problematic late outcomes that the authors identified after facial grafting for FT facial burns included relatively poor sensory return, elevation of graft edges, eyelid ectropion, gaps between grafts and hairline, and marked hypertrophic scarring around the mouth and chin. The results indicate that possible areas for quality improvement include greater attention to the limits of scalp harvest, more attention to pressure application to graft borders and the lip and chin during rehabilitation, greater accuracy in excision and graft placement on the forehead to avoid gaps with the hairlines, and counseling of the patient regarding the high probability of diminished facial sensation.     

Salvage of ear cartilage in patients with acute full-thickness burns

Three cases in which the temporoparietal fascial flap was used to salvage denuded ear cartilage during the acute period after burn injury are reported. Patients' burns ranged from 30% to 75% total body surface area. The full-thickness burn was acutely excised, exposing the auricular cartilage. The temporoparietal facial flap was elevated and wrapped around the cartilage. The flap was then covered with a split-thickness skin graft. All flaps and skin grafts survived. Additional reconstructive procedures have been performed on two of the patients and are planned for the third.     

Full-thickness skin grafting for contact burns of the palm in children

The authors report their experience in the treatment of deep contact burns of the palm with 12 children injured from 1980 to 1986. As an alternative to the use of split-thickness skin grafts for resurfacing, since 1983 they have used full-thickness skin grafts harvested from the groin. To date, no child has required secondary revision of a full-thickness skin graft nor is it anticipated. There has been no donor-site morbidity thus far. Current protocol for treatment of these injuries depends upon an aggressive program of physical therapy, which includes nocturnal "sandwich" splinting and the close participation of the family. Prevention of these injuries will depend upon improved design of safety features for household appliances and consumer education at the time of purchase.     

植皮供区的美学探讨

目的：探寻符合美学原则的植皮供区，方法：从患的腹股沟区切取全层皮肤，然后用皮鼓修至中厚皮片，供区直接拉扰缝合，皮片游离移植覆盖躯干及四肢部的创面，结果：从1998年11月－2001年12月，共26例患自腹股沟区取皮，供区伤口均Ⅰ期愈合，瘢痕隐蔽，不明显，疗效满意，结论：腹股沟区是瘢痕不明显的植皮供区，符合美学原则。     

Steam press hand burns: A serious burn injury

Steam presses cause full-thickness burns when the operator's extremity is caught between the buck and the head of the steam press. Patients with serious steam press burns should be referred to a regional burn center for excision of the full-thickness burn and coverage by either a split-thickness skin graft or a flap. The safety features in steam presses that could prevent this serious injury include: (1) emergency safety releases, (2) peripheral safety bars, and (3) two-hand operator control.     

Acellular porcine dermal matrix produced with different methods and an experimental study on its transplantation to skin wound.]

OBJECTIVE: To observed the effect of healing quality of composite skin grafting consisting of acellular porcine dermal matrix combined with autologous split-thickness skin graft. METHODS: Porcine skin was treated with dispase II/triton X-100 or hyperosmotic saline/sodium-dodecyl-sulfate (SDS) respectively, and acellular porcine dermal matrix I (APDMI) and APDM II were obtained. Sixty-three Sprague-Dawley rats with full-thickness skin defects on the back were separately covered with APDMT + split-thickness autologous skin, or APDM II + split-thickness autologous skin. The quality of wound healing was observed, the rates of survival and contraction of the grafts were calculated, the tissue samples were harvested for histological examination, and compared with that of autologous split-thickness skin graft. RESULTS: The wound healing quality of composite skin I, and II was good. There was no significant difference in the rate of survival and contraction of the grafts between the two composite skin grafting groups. It was indicated by histological examination intact basal membrane. There was no significant difference in the survival rate between composite skin grafting groups and autologous split-thickness skin at the 6 th week after operation, but the contraction rates of the grafts in the composite skin groups were lower. CONCLUSION: Full-thickness skin defect can be healed by covering with acellular porcine dermal matrix produced by two methods combined with split-thickness autolograft, and it can help improve the quality of wound healing.     

Clinical trials of a living dermal tissue replacement placed beneath meshed, split-thickness skin grafts on excised burn wounds.

We evaluated the ability of Dermagraft (Advanced Tissue Sciences, La Jolla, Calif.), a living tissue analog that is composed of human neonatal fibroblasts, which are grown on a polyglactin acid Vicryl mesh (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, N.J.), to function as a dermal replacement when placed beneath meshed, expanded split-thickness skin grafts (MESTSGs). Full-thickness burn wounds in 17 patients with burns (mean age, 31 years; range, 6 to 69 years; mean burn size, 23.8% total body surface area) were excised to subcutaneous fat (nine patients), to fascia (three patients), or to a combination of deep dermis and fat (five patients). Dermagraft was placed over the experimental sites, which were then covered with MESTSGs. Paired control sites on each patient received MESTSGs only. The results showed that "take" of MESTSGs on control sites was slightly better than take on experimental sites that contained the Dermagraft; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Mesh interstices epithelialized over the surface of the full-thickness wound (control sites) or over the surface of Dermagraft (experimental sites). Wound biopsy specimens demonstrated no evidence of rejection of the cultured allogeneic fibroblasts and minimal inflammatory reaction to the Vicryl fibers. Evidence of continuous basement membrane formation at the epithelial-Dermagraft junction, which was identified by immunohistochemical staining for laminin and type IV collagen, was seen by day 14 beneath the healed epithelium in the skin graft interstices. The Vicryl fibers were hydrolyzed in the wound over a 2-to-4-week period, although some expulsion of fibers occurred as the healing epithelium advanced to close the MESTSG interstices. Elastic fibers were not seen in neodermal tissue in either control or experimental wounds at periods of up to 1 year after grafting. Further trials with this living tissue replacement are in progress.     

大张中厚皮早期移植治疗手背部深度烧伤22例

目的总结早期切痂和大张中厚皮移植治疗手背部深度烧伤的经验和疗效。方法回顾本科2005年9月~2008年12月住院治疗的22例手背部严重烧伤患者共计30只手,采用早期切痂和大张中厚皮移植手术治疗,分析其疗效。结果 30只手所植皮片全部成活;22例均获随访6~24个月,所植皮片色泽和弹性好,其中21例患者手功能和外形恢复良好。结论对手背部、指背部深度烧伤,采取早期切痂移植大张中厚皮的治疗方案,能最大限度恢复其手部功能。     

Primary excision and immediate wound closure

Surgical principles of early excision of devitalized tissue and prompt wound closure which govern the management of all traumatic injuries have been developed in the primary treatment of burns. Topical and systemic antibiotics which delay wound infection and control invasive sepsis provide an initial period of two to three weeks in which wound excision and closure is safe and effective. Full support of the central and peripheral circulation, respiratory function, nutrition, and musculoskeletal function are essential features of care until the burn wound is eliminated and closed.Following initial evaluation, wound excision is carried beyond the deepest level of injured tissue. Excision to the level of muscle fascia is used for fullthickness injury and sequential excision in or below the dermis for deep dermal injury. Techniques of skin grafting and subsequent care of the graft are described, including the use of human allografts.Primary excision has reduced mortality, morbidity and later reconstructive measures by a factor of 50% when compared to results obtained by awaiting spontaneous separation of eschar with later grafting.With massive burns the use of allografts from familial donors of close immunologic type and immunosuppression of the patient prolong the period before allograft rejection and permit repeated harvest of the patient's donor sites for permanent wound closure. Over 60% of young burn victims with greater than 70% full-thickness burn injury have survived with this method of treatment.     

Immunologic alterations following excisional wounding and immediate repair with syngeneic or allogeneic skin grafts

Immunosuppression and its associated infectious complications have long been recognized as consequences of major thermal trauma, though the factors that mediate this suppression remain unclear. A murine split-thickness skin graft model was developed to investigate the role of a large surface area wound in the initiation of immunosuppression in the absence of burn injury. Significant T cell-mediated immunosuppression was demonstrated following wounding and immediate repair with either syngeneic or allogeneic split-thickness skin grafts. These results are consistent with previous experiments in a murine burn model treated by escharectomy and resurfacing with syngeneic composite full-thickness skin. Data also supports the concept that mediators of inflammation at the wound site play an important role in postburn immunosuppression. Furthermore, these results suggest that the use of skin allografts during the early postburn period does not adversely affect cell-mediated immunity in any way that could be abrogated by primary autografting.     

Full-thickness burn to the hand from an automobile airbag.

An 18-year-old male was involved in a single car motor vehicle accident in which the driver's side airbag was deployed. He presented to the trauma center with complex injuries to the left hand, lacerations to the scalp, and a full-thickness burn to the ulnar aspect of the right hand that included the hypothenar area and the fifth digit. The patient was admitted to the trauma center and received immediate consultation from the burn service. He underwent debridement and split-thickness skin grafting of 50 cm2 of the right hand on postburn day 3. The graft became necrotic and the patient underwent debridement of the skin and the abductor minimi muscle of the right hand on postburn day 32. Split-thickness skin grafting and release of flexion contracture were successfully completed 18 days later. The police and fire departments reported that the airbag showed signs of thermal destruction. Upon request, Honda motors submitted information from the TRW safety systems and material safety data sheet (Mesa, Ariz, issued 1989) that showed that airbag canisters contain the chemicals sodium azide and cupric oxide. Water may react with sodium azide to form highly toxic and explosive hyfrazoic acid. These chemicals are converted to sodium hydroxide, which can cause significant chemical burns. In addition, these chemicals may ignite when exposed to live electrical wires or temperatures greater than 300 degrees F. We conclude that burns associated with damaged deployed airbags in motor vehicle accidents may be the results of both chemical and thermal injury. The extent of the burn wound may be underestimated, as our case illustrates. Full-thickness burns resulting from airbag deployment may require more aggressive initial debridement and treatment.     

Reduced wound contraction after grafting of full-thickness burns with a collagen and chondroitin-6-sulfate (GAG) dermal skin substitute and coverage with biobrane

Full-thickness burns destroy both the epidermal and dermal tissues of the skin. This study evaluates a collagen and chondroitin-6-sulfate dermal skin substitute (graft) that was applied to excised full-thickness burns and covered with Biobrane. Experimental conditions included: (a) no burn, subcutaneous implantation of the graft; (b) burn, excision, graft, coverage with Biobrane and bandages; (c) burn, excision, no graft, coverage with Biobrane and bandages; (d) burn only. forty-one days post-surgery, subcutaneous implantation (N = 3) of the graft caused no detectable contraction or necrosis of the overlying skin, whereas all burn wounds contracted. Measurements of wounds (percentage of original wound size) showed statistically significant differences between the following treatments; (a) graft plus Biobrane (N = 10), 34%; (b) no graft plus Biobrane (N = 9), 25%; (c) untreated burns (N = 6), 16%. Semi-quantitative evaluation of time to healing indicated by spontaneous detachment of Biobrane from wounds showed that grafted, excised wounds healed in an average of 2.7 weeks, while ungrafted, excised wounds required an average of 4.3 weeks to heal. Histological appearance of healed wounds after grafting and coverage with Biobrane resembles undamaged skin without epidermal adnexal structures. Excision of full-thickness burn eschar, followed by grafting with a collagen and chondroitin-6-sulfate dermal skin substitute and coverage with Biobrane provides reduced wound contraction within a six-week period of observation compared to non-excised wounds. Both more rapid and more complete wound healing took place compared to excised wounds that were not grafted.     

深度手烧伤的治疗及功能康复

目的 :探讨深度手烧伤早期创面修复及功能康复最好的治疗方法。方法 :应用中厚皮、异体去细胞真皮基质作支架加自体刃厚皮片移植 ,腹部真皮血管网皮片及超薄皮瓣移植等手术方式 ,进行深度手烧伤早期切削痂。结果 :2 94例 4 6 2只手功能良好者 138例 2 32只手 (5 0 % ) ,功能较好者 79例 134只手 (2 9% ) ,功能障碍者 77例 96只手 (2 1% )。结论 :应用早期切削痂植皮的方法可减少瘢痕增生和畸形 ,使深度手烧伤后获得满意的外形和功能     

A multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the topical hemostatic efficacy of fibrin sealant in burn patients

Current surgical management of deep partial-thickness and full-thickness burn wounds involves early excision and grafting. Blood loss during these procedures can be profound, thus prompting the use of topical hemostatic agents to control and minimize hemorrhage during grafting. The primary endpoint of this multicenter trial was to evaluate the efficacy of fibrin sealant as a topical hemostatic agent during skin grafting. The secondary endpoint was to obtain data to support the existing safety profile of a human fibrin sealant (FS) in participating patients as indicated by the type, severity, and frequency of any adverse events within the 24-hour postoperative period. A multicenter prospective, open label, Phase III multicenter, randomized, comparative clinical trial evaluated the use of fibrin sealant in burn patients undergoing skin graft procedures. Each patient served as his or her own control in this randomized, unblinded study of the effect on time to hemostasis in donor sites treated with the investigational FS product. At operation, 1 contiguous donor skin harvest site was bisected into 2 equal halves, 1 of which was then randomly selected and treated with fibrin sealant. At the end of the fibrin sealant application, the time to hemostasis in each of the donor site halves was identified by the operating surgeon and recorded by the research coordinator. The use of any other topical hemostatic agents was prohibited. A significant difference (P < .001) was demonstrated in the mean time to hemostasis between the fibrin sealant treated donor sites when compared painwise to the control sites. The significant difference was consistent across the 6 participating study centers. There were no adverse events associated with the use of fibrin sealant. The investigational FS product was shown to be efficacious, because it significantly decreases the time to hemostasis at the donor skin harvest site in patients undergoing skin grafting and was noted not to cause any adverse reactions.     

Xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix as a dermal substitute in rats.

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has been used as a dermal substitute for the treatment of deep burns, but the availability of cadaver skin for the production of ADM is limited. The usefulness of porcine ADM as a xenogeneic dermal substitute in rats was studied. With the use of Dispase II (Boehringer Mannheim, Indianapolis, Ind) and Triton X-100 (US Biochemicals, Cleveland, Ohio), xenogeneic ADM was prepared from commercially available, cryopreserved porcine skin, and allogeneic ADM from the rats was also prepared. Four full-thickness injuries 225 mm2 in size were created on the dorsum of each rat. One of these wounds was treated with xenogeneic ADM and 1 was treated with allogeneic ADM, and immediately a 0.005-in thick split-thickness skin graft was placed over the ADM. The other 2 wounds were covered with 0.005- or 0.017-in thick split-thickness skin grafts alone. The wounds were evaluated macro- and microscopically 10, 14, 20, and 30 days after grafting. At 30 days after grafting, contraction of the wounds that contained xenogeneic ADM was significantly greater than that of the wounds that contained allogeneic ADM. Graft take was poor in the wounds that contained xenogeneic ADM at 14 days after surgery and moderately good in those that contained allogeneic ADM. The use of thick autografts resulted in the best wound healing, whereas the use of thin autografts resulted in considerable wound contraction. Allogeneic ADM diminished this contraction, but wound healing was significantly worsened when xenogeneic ADM was used.