On the History of the Free Skin Graft

Abstract

Skin graft procedures had already been performed prior to Reverdin's great discovery. Skin grafting apparently originated with the Hindus 3,000 years ago, but until the beginning of the nineteenth century only a few trials were reported. In the first half of the nineteenth century, skin graft procedures were done by Baronio, Cooper, Bünger, and Dieffenbach. Bert's experimental work in 1963 opened the way for the pioneers Reverdin, Ollier, Wolfe, and Thiersch, who contributed the free skin graft.