ENHANCED SURVIVAL OF AUTOEPIDERMAL ALLODERMAL COMPOSITE GRAFTS IN ALLOSENSITIZED ANIMALS BY USE OF SILVER-NYLON DRESSINGS AND DIRECT-CURRENT

Objective: Observe the effect of silver-nylon (SN) dressing and direct electric current on healing of meshed autoepidermal/allodermal compos ite skin grafts (MICSGs) in allosensitized rats, Materials and Methods : MCSGs were placed on experimental animals 28 to 30 days after placem ent of sensitizing allografts, MCSGs and control allografts were cover ed,vith either Vaseline gauze (VG) or SN; direct current, 40 mu A, was applied for 5 days to some of the SN-dressed wounds (SNDCs). Measurem ents and Main Results: Second set rejection of MCSG was not observed, SN- and SNDC-treated grafts showed expansion of the meshed autoepiderm is with complete epithelialization within 3 weeks, VG-covered wounds d eveloped areas of open granulation and were not completely epitheliali zed at 3 months, Both SN and SNDC reduced wound contraction when compa red to VG (SN versus VG p < 0.02, SNDC versus VG p < 0.008), MCSG was found to be of low alloantigenicity in that it did not induce second s et rejection of subsequent skin allograft, Conclusions: SN dressings e nhanced survival of meshed composite skin grafts.