Clinical Use of Viable Frozen Human Skin

Abstract

After a method for the successful freezing and storing of viable skin was developed in the laboratory, it was applied to human skin grafts. Split-thickness skin was prepared by soaking in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and frozen in dry ice. It was then stored at liquid nitrogen temperatures (—196 C) for periods up to 608 days. The grafts were used in various clinical situations. The success of the grafts was directly related to the status of the recipient bed and showed no relation to the time of storage. The grafts have been used in 26 cases as autografts and 12 cases as homografts.