Efficacy Of Human Skin Allografts In Enhancing Healing Of Partial-Thickness Burn Wounds: A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction-Partial-thickness burn wounds present unique challenges in wound management, often requiring advanced therapeutic strategies to promote healing and reduce complications. Human skin allografts, particularly glycerol-preserved allografts, have emerged as a valuable option for burn wound management in resource-constrained settings. This study evaluates the efficacy of human skin allografts in partial-thickness burn wound management by analyzing clinical outcomes, reduction in autograft requirements, postoperative complications, and long-term scar quality.

Methods- A retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care center from January 2017 to December 2019. Patients with partial-thickness burns who underwent tangential excision and glycerol-preserved human skin allograft application were included. Demographic data, burn characteristics, wound healing outcomes, complications, and follow-up scar assessments were analyzed. Outcomes such as epithelialization, autograft requirements, postoperative interventions, and scar quality were assessed using descriptive statistics.

Results- The study included 24 patients with a mean age of 20.25 years and a male-to-female ratio of 15:9. Scald burns (58.3%) were the predominant cause, with a mean TBSA of 32.21 ± 13.60%. By postoperative day (POD) 10, epithelialization was observed in 73.7% of cases, which increased to 77.8% by POD 21. Granulation tissue was noted in all cases by POD 10. Autograft requirements were significantly reduced, with 95.7% of patients not requiring autografts by POD 4. Postoperative complications included infections (17.0%), hypokalemia (8.3%), and hyperkalemia (4.2%). Favorable scar outcomes were noted in 87.5% of patients at 3 months, with only 8.3% developing hypertrophic scars.

Conclusions- Human skin allografts demonstrated significant efficacy in accelerating wound healing, reducing autograft requirements, and improving scar quality in partial-thickness burns. These findings highlight the potential of allografts as a cost-effective and clinically viable option, particularly in resource-constrained settings.