Efficacy of Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix* versus Collagen-Chondroitin Silicone** Dermal Templates in Lower Extremity Wounds

Introduction Skin substitutes are an effective treatment for lower extremity (LE) wounds promoting tissue vascularity and thickness of wound bed, enabling better outcomes for skin grafts. Although the standard selection has been collagen-chondroitin silicone bilayer* (CCS), recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of a cheaper alternative in Biodegradable Temporizing Matrix** (BTM). In this study, we compared outcomes for patients with lower extremity injuries who underwent either CCS or BTM. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent reconstruction with application of skin substitute for lower extremity wounds at MetroHealth between 1/1/2015 to 12/31/2019. Patients who were under 18 years old, expired during the study, or had application of cadaveric skin substitutes were excluded. Patient demographics (age, sex, body mass index, race, smoking, comorbidities, anticoagulant use, and follow-up time), wound characteristics (indication for skin substitute, wound area, infection prior to surgery, prior surgeries, and wound age at surgery), treatment characteristics (template size, specialty of attending surgeon, concomitant treatment to surgical site, and split-thickness skin graft characteristics), and outcomes (complications to template, secondary procedures, closure of wound, and time from operation to closure) were collected. Statistical analysis was performed with between groups with non-parametric tests and Fisher’s exact test for observations with low counts. Results Eleven patients underwent LE reconstruction with BTM, and 13 patients underwent reconstruction with CCS. There was a statistically significant difference (p