The Effect of Split Skin Allografts on Wound Epithelialization from Autologous Patch Grafts: An Experimental Study in Rabbits

Abstract

To compare the healing time of standardized wounds partly covered with autologous patch skin grafts, and wounds totally covered with a combination of allografts and autologous patch grafts 10 rabbits, each with two-standardized wounds, were used. On each rabbit one wound was partially transplanted with 6 autologous patch grafts 9 mm in diameter. The patches covered 6% of the wound area. The second wound was covered with a rabbit skin allograft with six holes 7 mm in diameter. In these holes 6 autologous patch grafts, 9 mm in diameter were placed (intermingled transplantation of auto- and allografts). The average healing time for the ten wounds treated with autografts only was 39.8 days and for the rounds covered with auto- and allografts 21.6 days. This lows that the same amount of autologous skin epithelialized a wound area about 17 times larger than itself nearly twice as fast if the wound surface between the autografts was covered with allografts than if it was protected by a dressing only.