To investigate if donor and recipient site morbidity (healing time and cosmesis) could be reduced by a novel, modified split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) technique using a dermal component in the STSG procedure (DG). The STSG technique has been used for 150 years in surgery with limited improvements. Its drawbacks are well known and relate to donor site morbidity and recipient site cosmetic shortcomings (especially mesh patterns, wound contracture, and scarring). The Dermal graft technique (DG) has emerged as an interesting alternative, which reduces donor site morbidity, increases graft yield, and has the potential to avoid the mesh procedure in the STSG procedure due to its elastic properties. A prospective, dual-centre, intra-individual controlled comparison study. Twenty-one patients received both an unmeshed dermis graft and a regular 1:1.5 meshed STSG. Aesthetic and scar assessments were done using The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and a Cutometer Dual MPA 580 on both donor and recipient sites. These were also examined histologically for remodelling and scar formation. Dermal graft donor sites and the STSG donor sites healed in 8 and 14 days, respectively (p < 0.005). Patient-reported POSAS showed better values for colour for all three measurements, i.e., 3, 6, and 12 months, and the observers rated both vascularity and pigmentation better on these occasions (p < 0.01). At the recipient site, (n = 21) the mesh patterns were avoided as the DG covered the donor site due to its elastic properties and rendered the meshing procedure unnecessary. Scar formation was seen at the dermal donor and recipient sites after 6 months as in the standard scar healing process. The dermis graft technique, besides potentially rendering a larger graft yield, reduced donor site morbidity, as it healed faster than the standard STSG. Due to its elastic properties, the DG procedure eliminated the meshing requirement (when compared to a 1:1.5 meshed STSG). This promising outcome presented for the DG technique needs to be further explored, especially regarding the elasticity of the dermal graft and its ability to reduce mesh patterns. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT05189743) 12/01/2022. © 2022, The Author(s).

INTRODUCTION: In line with other researchers in the field of burns' care, we think that research investigating the long-term outcome of scars is largely lacking. As scarring is of the utmost importance to the patient, clinicians who treat burns must aim to find treatments that lead to a good end result. The aim of this study was to study scar outcomes at six and 12 months after injury. It is an extension of a previous randomised controlled trial (RCT) in which two dressings (porcine xenograft and silver foam dressing) were examined with respect to their ability to help heal partial thickness scalds.

METHOD: Children aged six months - six years with acute partial thickness scalds, on the trunk, or extremities, or both, were included. In the previous study, the silver foam was found to have significantly shorter healing times than the xenograft. Children were assessed at six and 12 months after injury for this study, and photographs were taken of the burn site, and both the patient and observer scar assessment scale (POSAS) and the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) were completed and evaluated by blinded observers.

RESULTS: Of the 58 children from the original RCT, 39 returned to the clinic for evaluation of their scars at six months, and 34 at 12 months after injury. There were no differences in POSAS, VSS total scores, or incidence of hypertrophic scarring between the different dressings. Fifteen children were assessed as having hypertrophic scarring, all of whom had healing times that had extended beyond 14 days.

CONCLUSIONS: This study compared burn scarring after two different treatments for burns in children with partial-thickness scalds and the data suggested that neither dressing had a more favourable impact on scar outcome. The conclusion is, however, tempered by the non-return of all the patients to the follow up. However, as anticipated, regardless of the dressing used, longer healing times were associated with higher scar scores (more scarring) and hypertrophic scarring.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if previous findings on the association between dressing treatments and subjective opinion on final donor site scar outcome using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) can be confirmed objectively. The previous study showed that patients dressed with hydrofiber covered with film were more satisfied with their donor site scars than patients receiving porcine xenograft or polyurethane foam dressings. METHODS: Scar outcome measurements were assessed by a blinded observer using POSAS and the Cutometer dual MPA 580 device to measure the viscoelasticity of skin. RESULTS: A total of 17 participants were included in this study, five of whom were treated with hydrofiber, six with polyurethane foam, and another six with porcine xenograft. There were no significant differences among groups in any of the POSAS items or in the viscoelasticity measurements made with the Cutometer. CONCLUSIONS: The investigators could not confirm previous associations between dressing treatment and long-term donor site scars. No associations between donor sites healing times and final scarring were found. Hypopigmentation was reported in 15 of 17 donor sites evaluated.

The standard treatment of burns is early excision followed by autologous skin grafting. The closure of extensive deep burns poses a considerable challenge. Cultured autologous keratinocytes have been used since 1981 in an effort to improve healing. However, the time required to culture the cells and the lack of a dermal component limit the expectations of outcome. Our aim was to compare the duration of hospital stay between patients who were treated with autologous skin grafts and cultured autologous keratinocytes and those who were treated with autologous skin grafting without cultured autologous keratinocytes. In this retrospective study all patients treated with cultured autologous keratinocytes between 2012 and 2015 were matched by size and depth of burn with patients not treated with cultured autologous keratinocytes. Multivariable regression was used to analyse associations between duration of hospital stay and treatment adjusted for age, mortality, size and depth of the burn. Then, we investigated the possibility of differentiation of human bone marrow stem cell line to keratinocyte- like cells as a future direction. The regression analysis showed a coefficient of 17.36 (95% CI -17.69 to 52.40), p= 0.32, for hospital stay in the treatment group, compared with the matched group. Our results showed no difference in the duration of hospital stay between the two treatments. Autologous stem cells should be considered as a future modality of burn management, although further studies are needed.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate scarring at split-thickness skin graft donor sites 8 years after surgery.

METHODS: At surgery, 67 patients were randomized to hydrofiber, polyurethane foam, or porcine xenograft treatment. Scars were evaluated with the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale.

RESULTS: Results showed significant differences in observed scar outcomes at donor sites, leaving the polyurethane foam–treated and the porcine xenograft–treated patients with the least satisfying scars. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the group treated with the xenografts had worse scores for overall opinion of the scar than did the other groups (P = .03), the most important factor being pigmentation. There was no correlation between duration of healing time and quality of the scar.

CONCLUSIONS: There were significant differences among the groups, with the hydrofiber group being the most satisfied with the appearance of their scar.

Background: Reconstruction of complex defects in the lower leg is a challenge. Although microvascular free tissue transfer is a popular technique, experience and available resources limit its use. Furthermore, free tissue transfer is not always required in the reconstruction of small lower leg defects, as many of them can be reconstructed with local alternatives such as an extensor digitorum brevis flap (EDB). Our aim was to describe our experience of the last 20 years with the EDB as a local muscle flap to cover small complex lower leg defects to establish its clinical feasibility and to document its associated complications. Methods: All adult patients who were operated with EDB flap reconstruction of the lower limb during 1997–2017 at the Department of Hand and Plastic Surgery, Linköping University Hospital, were included in this retrospective study. Results: Of 64 patients operated, only 7 had total flap failure, and the rate of complete success was 73% (47/64). Most of the skin defects were associated with fractures or complications thereof and were located in the ankle region, the dorsum of the foot, and the distal third of tibia or even the proximal tibia. Defects in the malleolar region and coexisting cardiovascular condition were factors associated with flap loss (either partial or total). Conclusion: The pedicled EDB-flap has, in our hands, proved to be a versatile and safe reconstructive option in the reconstruction of small defects in the lower leg and foot. Long-time follow-up is, however, recommended. 

[No abstract available]

Patients and Methods: Surgically managed burn patients admitted between 2010-14 were included. Operative stay was defined as the time from admission until the last operation, postoperative stay as the time from the last operation until discharge. The difference in variation was analysed with F-test. A retrospective review of medical records was done to explore reasons for extended postoperative stay. Multivariable regression was used to assess factors associated with operative stay and postoperative stay.less thanbr /greater thanResults: Operative stay/TBSA% showed less variation than total duration/TBSA% (F test = 2.38, pless than0.01). The size of the burn, and the number of operations, were the independent factors that influenced operative stay (R2 0.65). Except for the size of the burn other factors were associated with duration of postoperative stay: wound related, psychological and other medical causes, advanced medical support, and accommodation arrangements before discharge, of which the two last were the most important with an increase of (mean) 12 and 17 days (pless than0.001, R2 0.51).less thanbr /greater thanConclusion: Adjusted operative stay showed less variation than total hospital stay and thus can be considered a more accurate outcome measure for surgically managed burns. The size of burn and number of operations are the factors affecting this outcome measure.

BACKGROUND: Different surgical techniques have evolved since excision and autografting became the treatment of choice for deep burns in the 1970s. The treatment plan at the Burn Center, Linköping University Hospital, Sweden, has shifted from single-stage excision and immediate autografting to staged excisions and temporary cover with xenografts before autografting. The aim of this study was to find out if the change in policy resulted in extended duration of hospital stay/total body surface area burned (LOS/TBSA%).

METHODS: Retrospective clinical cohort including surgically-managed patients with burns of 15%-60% TBSA% within each treatment group. The first had early full excisions of deep dermal and full thickness burns and immediate autografts (1997-98), excision and immediate autograft group) and the second had staged excisions before final autografts using xenografts for temporary cover (2010-11, staged excision group).

RESULTS: The study included 57 patients with deep dermal and full-thickness burns, 28 of whom had excision and immediate autografting, and 29 of whom had staged excisions with xenografting before final autografting. Adjusted (LOS/TBSA%) was close to 1, and did not differ between groups. Mean operating time for the staged excision group was shorter and the excised area/operation was smaller. The total operating time/TBSA% did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION: Staged excisions with temporary cover did not affect adjusted LOS/TBSA% or total operating time. Staged excisions may be thought to be more expensive because of the cost of covering the wound between stages, but this needs to be further investigated as do the factors that predict long term outcome.

During the 80s and 90s, early and total excision of full thickness burns followed by immediate autograft was the most common treatment, with repeated excision and grafting, mostly for failed grafts. It was hypothesized, therefore, that delayed coverage with an autograft preceded by a temporary xenograft after early and sequential smaller excisions would lead to a better wound bed with fewer failed grafts, a smaller donor site, and possibly also a shorter duration of stay in hospital. We carried out a case control study with retrospective analysis from our National Burn Centre registry for the period 1997-2011. Patients who had been managed with early total excision and autograft were compared with those who had had sequential smaller excisions covered with temporary xenografts until the burn was ready for the final autograft. The sequential excision and xenograft group (n=42) required one-third fewer autografts than patients in the total excision and autograft group (n=45), who needed more than one operation (p<0.001). We could not detect any differences in duration of stay in hospital / total body surface area burned% (duration of stay/TBSA%) (2.0 and 1.8) (p=0.83). The two groups showed no major differences in terms of adjusted duration of stay, but our findings suggest that doing early, smaller, sequential excisions using a xenograft for temporary cover can result in shorter operating times, saving us the trouble of making big excisions. However, costs tended to be higher when the burns were > 25% TBSA.