COLOGNE BURN CENTER EXPERIENCE WITH GLYCEROL-PRESERVED ALLOGENEIC SKIN .2. COMBINATION WITH AUTOLOGOUS CULTURED KERATINOCYTES

Autologous keratinocytes cultured in vitro from skin biopsies of patie nts with deep partial and full skin thickness burns were grafted onto nine necrectomized wound surfaces between 17 and 25 days after injury. The cells were applied as nonconfluent single cells suspended in fibr in glue. In four wounds, this cell-fibrin suspension was used to attac h an additional glycerolized allogeneic split thickness skin graft (ST SG). Re-epithelialization was very rapid as demonstrated clinically an d histologically. Keratinocyte grafted areas without cadaver skin over graft showed less mechanical stability than when the keratinocyte-fibr in glue suspension was combined with allogeneic STSG. There is clinica l and histological evidence that the allodermis may be partially integ rated into the new skin.