1. Protective cranial implant caps for macaques
- Author
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Michael C. Schmid, Christopher I. Petkov, Caroline Bergmann, Alexander Thiele, Stuart Mason, Jennifer Nacef, Brook A.L. Perry, Ashley Waddle, Brian Hynes, and Anna S. Mitchell
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Perforation (oil well) ,Welfare ,Neurophysiology ,Neuroimaging ,Article ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Cognition ,biology.animal ,Medicine ,Animals ,Primate ,Primate chair ,Behavior ,Non human primate ,biology ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,General Neuroscience ,Skull ,Brain ,Prostheses and Implants ,Non-human primate ,Macaca mulatta ,Surgery ,030104 developmental biology ,Wound management ,Neuroscience research ,Implant ,business ,Wound healing ,Head ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Cranial implant ,Neuroscience - Abstract
Highlights • A non-human primate protective head cap that promotes wound healing after cranial implants. • Use of the head cap reduced wound dehiscence and the need to re-suture surgical wounds. • The head cap is easily adjustable to cover most primate cranial implants. • The head cap facilitates primate cranial implant wound management in neuroscience., Background Neuroscience studies with macaque monkeys may require cranial implants to stabilize the head or gain access to the brain for scientific purposes. Wound management that promotes healing after the cranial implant surgery in non-human primates can be difficult as it is not necessarily possible to cover the wound margins. New method Here, we developed an easily modifiable head cap that protects the sutured skin margins after cranial implant surgery and contributes to wound healing. The protective head cap was developed in response to monkeys picking at sutured skin margins around an implant, complicating healing. The user-friendly protective cap, made from Klarity- R™ Sheet (3.2 mm thick with 36 % or 42 % perforation) is affixed to the implant post-surgically. Once secured and while the monkey is still anesthetized, the plastic sheeting is molded around the implant. The protective head cap restricts the monkey’s finger access to its’ wound margins while allowing air to circulate to promote wound healing. Results and comparison with existing methods Across two UK primate facilities, the protective head cap promoted wound healing. In monkeys that did not wear the head cap, re-suturing was necessary in ∼30 % of cases. In contrast, none of the monkeys that wore the head cap required re-suturing. The monkeys wearing the head cap also had reduced numbers of days of prescribed antibiotics and analgesia. Conclusion This bespoken, easily adaptable, protective head cap supports postoperative wound healing, and enhances the welfare of monkeys involved in neuroscience research.
- Published
- 2021