Controlled clinical study of deep partial-thickness burns treated with frozen cultured human allogeneic epidermal sheets

Numerous studies, many uncontrolled, have suggested that the application of freshly prepared human allogeneic epidermal cultures promotes faster re-ep ithelialization of skin donor sites and deep partial-thickness burns. We de scribe the results of a study of deep partial-thickness bunts treated with such cultures preserved in the frozen state. The study was controlled, side -by-side comparative, and randomized. Nine patients with deep partial thick ness burns and 2 patients with superficial partial-thickness burns were tre ated with the frozen cultures, with the use of adjacent wounds covered with petrolatum-coated gauze (Jelonet, Smith & Nephew Inc, Large, Fla) as contr ol wounds. The results showed that for the 2 superficial partial-thickness burns, the frozen cultures reduced healing time by 44%. For 5 of the patien ts with deep partial-thickness burns, the wounds treated with frozen cultur es healed in a mean time of 5.6 days, whereas the control wounds healed in 12.2 days. More importantly, for the 4 other patients with deep partial-thi ckness burns, the wounds treated with the frozen cultures underwent complet e re-epithelialization in a mean time of 4.2 days, but the control wounds w ere partially or mostly unhealed at up to 14 days. The results show that th e frozen cultures not only accelerate the re-epithelialization of deep and superficial partial-thickness burns but also make it possible to heal such wounds that otherwise would not heal.