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Background: Split-thickness skin grafting (STSG) is the most commonly used technique in the treatment of traumatic, post-burn, and post-operative wounds, when direct wound edge closure is unavailable. There is currently no general agreement on the optimal thickness of skin grafts. We aimed to analyze the early results of recipient wound healing after STSG, using grafts of different thicknesses.Methods: This randomized, controlled, and parallel-group pilot clinical trial included 98 adult patients who underwent STSG transplantation surgery for post-burn, post-traumatic, or post-operative skin defects. Patients were randomized into three groups to receive a skin graft of 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4-mm thickness. After skin transplantation, the healing parameters of the recipient wounds were evaluated after 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks, and 1 month. At each time, epithelialization and pain parameters were evaluated.Results: Our study showed that thinner split-thickness skin grafts had better epithelialization scores at the second post-operative week. However, thinner split-thickness skin grafts caused greater pain to the patients.Conclusions: Thickness of the skin graft is a significant factor affecting recipient wound healing parameters. It is necessary to evaluate healing of the donor wound, as well as distant treatment outcomes, such as scarring, pigmentation, and esthetic results of skin grafting with different thickness grafts.Level of Evidence: Level I, therapeutic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1994 and 2001 we used the vacuum-sealing technique in 478 skin grafts. Indications included large soft-tissue defects resulting from trauma, skin loss due to degloving injuries, burns, and infected/contaminated wound surfaces. The technique involves direct placement of the white polyvinyl alcohol pad directly onto the transplanted skin. The necessary negative pressure is generated by redon flasks yielding a negative pressure of 60–80 kPa (high-pressure system). In extensive wounds a vacuum pump is used. The high pressure used does not result in necrosis. In 11 patients poor wound conditions resulted in only partial healing. Three patients with pseudomonas infections experienced complete loss of the graft. The vacuum-sealing technique permits a moderate moist and warm wound treatment with stable fixation of the transplant even in cases of large wounds or those with irregular contours. The method is not suitable in cases of infection or contamination with pseudomonas species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new rat vest for protection of experimental dorsal wounds is described. It can be made easily, can be used repeatedly, is adjustable to the rat's body contours and allows easy observation of the animals. In addition, decubitus ulcers seldom occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]