"Tissue Microcolumn" Technology in Burn Care, Results of Burn Panel Analysis

Introduction.

Standard partial thickness donor sites, are painful, take 2 weeks to heal and may become hypertrophic, with unacceptable scarring. Tissue Microcolumns, 500µ wide full thickness grafts, are used successfully in reconstructing Mohs’ surgery defects, showing very rapid, virtually pain free and scarless donorsite healing while the recipient sites show excellent cosmetic results. A burn panel was asked to evaluate applicability of the technology in burn care.

The device.

A special device* harvests up to 316 Microcolumns from a 1 inch2 circular pattern, reaching an expansion ratio of 1:10. After harvesting, Microcolumns are released over the woundbed. In contrast to other, much more complex techniques of harvesting skin, which usually require complex preparations and/or procedures, this technique, which can be used at the bed site or in an outpatient clinic, requires only local anesthesia for the donorsite.

Results of the analysis.

According to the panel, based on the currently available clinical information, Microcolumns certainly seem to have benefits for treatment of small burns and residual defects. These defects are common after extensive grafting procedures. Microcolumns may also be used for reconstruction of contractures and for delivery of additional skin elements to the interstices of widely meshed grafts, which normally leave a permanent and disfiguring mesh pattern, due to the lack of dermis. Microcolumns may be able to deliver the required extra dermis with minimal donorsite morbidity, a major potential advantage in all aspects of burn care. Grafting at the bedside, and not in the OR, also seems a significant advantage.

Conclusion.

Theoretically, based on the experiences in Mohs’ surgery, the use of Microcolumns delivers certain advantages in burn care, particularly also with regard to donorsite morbidity. Clinical trials and evaluations will have to confirm these advantages.