Abstract
Background
Perifascial areolar tissue (PAT) is an areolar layer over the muscle fascia. PAT has been shown to be resistant to ischemia and prone to survival even in ischemic conditions. PAT grafts provide a vascular tissue layer on necrotic bone and tendons where skin grafting is not possible. The effect of PAT grafting on burn reconstruction has not yet been reported. Thus, in this study, we aimed to present our experience and discuss the role of PAT grafting in extremity burn reconstruction.
Methods
Between January 2019 and December 2020, 16 PAT grafting procedures were performed in 11 patients. All patients had second- or third-degree burns in the upper and lower extremities, with exposed bone or tendon. PAT grafts were harvested from the abdominal region and were used for the upper extremity in 7 patients and the lower extremity in 4 patients. Immediate skin grafting was performed during the same session.
Results
The patients’ mean age was 50.7 years; defect size, 3.3 × 3 cm2; and follow-up time, 11.8 months. The survival rates of the PAT and skin grafts were 93.8% and 68.6%, respectively. Partial skin graft losses were encountered in 4 patients, and total skin graft loss was seen in 1 patient.
Conclusion
PAT grafting is an alternative method to the use of dermal substitutes and flap surgery in small-to-medium-sized defects with exposed bone and tendon in burn patients.
Acknowledgments
There is no contributor who does not meet the criteria for authorship. Hence, the section of acknowledgment is none.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.