Healing Characteristics of Expanded Autografts on Wounds Covered with Homograft and Biobrane Temporary Wound Dressing

Abstract

This study compared the healing characteristics of expanded autografts on wounds with interstices that were closed with cryopreserved cadaver homograft split-thickness skin and wounds with interstices that were closed with the synthetic skin substitute, Biobrane temporary wound dressing. Nine paired wounds in four patients with large burns were used in this study. When Biobrane temporary wound dressing adhered to a wound, epithelial migration did not proceed until it was removed. Although wounds covered with homograft immediately had the appearance of healed wounds, biopsy specimens showed evidence of a delay in epithelial migration. Although these results indicate impaired epithelial migration with the use of both materials, we concluded that homograft offered an advantage because the wounds that were covered with it remained closed during the entire reepithelialization process.