An experimental study to determine the effects of Dermagraft on skin graft viability in the presence of bacterial wound contamination.

Dermagrafts (Advanced Tissue Science, La Jolla, Calif.) is a possible dermal substitute currently in early stages of clinical trials. It consists of polyglycolic acid mesh impregnated with viable, human, neonatal fibroblasts. The randomized prospective study with the mouse model was undertaken to determine the effect of Dermagraft on skin graft viability in the presence of wound contamination with controlled concentrations of commonly encountered burn wound pathogens. Appropriate controlled series were run concurrently. Placement of Dermagraft, or polyglycolic acid mesh, had no significant effect on skin graft viability when compared with simple skin grafts. Controlled bacterial contamination of skin grafts with Dermagraft did not significantly change the occurrence of graft viability when compared with control groups of skin grafts with controlled bacterial contamination. These studies suggest that Dermagraft does not increase the occurrence of graft loss in the face of wound bed contamination.