Wound contraction following transplantation of microskin autografts with overlaid skin allograft in experimental animals.

The wound contraction associated with a new grafting technique, transplantation of microskin autografts with overlaid skin allograft, was evaluated in a rat model. Male inbred Lewis rats were used as microskin autograft recipients while Buffalo rats were used as allogeneic skin graft donors providing a sheet allograft for overlay. This technique was compared with the use of sheet isografts. Wound contraction was observed for 4 months. The results showed that the application of autologous microskin grafting with allograft overlay was associated with more scar contraction than was the use of a sheet isograft. Maximum contraction to 43 per cent of the original size appeared at 7 weeks postgrafting in the microskin grafting group, while in the sheet isografting group the greatest contraction occurred at 4 weeks postgrafting when it retained 72 per cent of the original size.