A new biodegradable matrix as part of a cell seeded skin substitute for the treatment of deep skin defects: a physico-chemical characterisation.

A bilayered matrix, as an integral part of a cell seeded skin substitute for deep dermal skin injury, is described. The skin substitute has been given a dense top layer, to function as a substrate for keratinocyte culture, and a porous under layer for wound adhesion and to serve as a template for dermal regeneration. This porous under layer may be seeded with dermal fibroblasts for improvement of neodermis formation. The elastomeric hydrogel Polyactive¿, a biodegradable polyether/polyester block copolymer, has been selected as the top layer component and Polyactive or Poly-L-lactide (PLLA) as the constituents of the under layer; this to ensure that the matrix is degradable and fulfils certain mechanical requirements. Polyactive top layers were found to be highly permeable to water vapour (+/-30 g/m -2 h -1 kPa) -1 and to molecules up to 150 kD (human IgG). Tensile properties of the bilayered matrices were to a considerable extent dependent on top layer and under layer composition and thickness. Elasticity moduli were in the range of those previously reported for human skin. Varying the weight ratios of the soft/hard segments of the Polyactives and/or substituting PLLA for Polyactive as the under layer component, allows the modulation of the matrix to specific application site dependent demands.