SKIN REPLACEMENT BY CULTURED KERATINOCYTE GRAFTS - AN AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE

We have prepared and supplied cultured epithelial autografts (CEA) to treat 37 burn patients around Australia. The method is a modification of the original methods of Green et al.(1,2) The confluent 75 cm(2) se condary cultures, obtained after less than 3 weeks, are 8-10 cell laye rs thick after detachment and have a shrinkage of only 7-14 per cent. The patients had full-thickness skin loss to 55-95 per cent of their t otal body surface area (TBSA) or deep partial-thickness bums to 3-50 p er cent TBSA owing to scald injuries. In the case of full-thickness bu rns the CEA fake in the 17 surviving patients for which data was avail able averaged 53 per cent (range 10-100 per cent). The fake for seven patients with partial-thickness bums averaged 73 per cent (range 25-10 0 per cent). The variability and early graft failure is attributed lar gely to the presence of infection. The durability and percentage take of CEA grafts is discussed together with future developments in the re placement of both dermis and epidermis in bums injury. (C) 1997 Elsevi er Science Ltd for ISBI.