Skin Regeneration for Children With Burn Scar Contracture Using Autologous Cultured Dermal Substitutes and Superthin Auto-Skin Grafts

In Brief We have evaluated a novel treatment of burn scar contracture in children. This method involves the application of an autologous cultured dermal substitute (CDS), followed by a graft of superthin split-thickness skin. In the first operation, the autologous CDS was applied to the skin defect that had occurred after releasing the scar contracture. In the second operation, a superthin thickness skin graft (4∼6/1000 inches) was applied 5∼12 days after the first operation. The autologous CDS was applied to 10 sites of 5 children. On 8 sites, the skin grafts were contracted to some extent at an early stage. However, these skin grafts were stretched gradually to a range from 60% to 100% of an original size. At 2 sites, the skin grafts had stretched from 110% to 130% of the original size. This strategy may be useful for the treatment of burn scar contracture in children. Ten pediatric burn scar contractures were treated by excision and coverage with autologous cultured dermal substitute, followed several days later by a very thin STSG. Some graft contraction usually occurred but was followed by subsequent stretching, occasionally to larger than original size.