Vol. 7, Issue 4 (2018)

Author(s):
Preethi K, Gireesh kumar V and Raghavender KBP

Abstract:
Skin grafting aims at early healing of a wide skin defect with better cosmetic appearance and proper hair growth. Though some wounds heal after routine skin care, proper debridement and suture, (Cockbill and Turner, 1995) wide wounds of extremities usually require additional measures like plastic surgery. While the development of new techniques and devices has significantly improved the functional as well as the aesthetic results from skin grafting, the fundamentals of skin grafting have remained the same, a healthy vascular granulating wound bed free of infection. Adherence to the recipient bed is the most important factor in skin graft survival and research continues introducing new techniques that promote this process. Biological and synthetic skin substitutes have also provided better treatment option with the use of growth factors in Platelet Rich Plasma. A variety of skin grafting techniques have been used for treatment of large extensive wounds in extremities. Among these pinch grafts, free full thickness grafts, mesh grafts, partial thickness grafts, strip grafts, pedicle grafts and skin flaps etc have been treated in clinical and experimental animals (Vishwasrao and Mantri, 1990; Anjaiah et al., 2001; Wani and kulkarni, 1995; Segfried et al., 2005; Makady 1991 and Slatter, 2003). However, there is paucity of literature on skin grafting in animals. Even today, skin grafts remain the most common and least invasive procedure for the closure of soft tissue defects but the quest for perfection continues.