COMBINED SIMULTANEOUS APPLICATION OF CULTURED EPITHELIAL AUTOGRAFTS AND ALLODERM(R)

The damaging effects of deep partial or full thickness bums to the der mis predispose patients to several functional and cosmetic sequalae. N ew technological advances in wound management with biological dressing s allow us to introduce a novel technique involving the combined simul taneous application of cultured epithelial autografts (CEA) and AlloDe rm(R) in vivo. AlloDerm, a processed permanent acellular dermal matrix , accelerates the key biologic events influencing maturation and proli feration of CEA, promoting neoepithelization and restoration of the de rmal and epidermal complex. We report the first simultaneous applicati ons of this type on three patients admitted to our Burn Treatment Cent er.