Comparative study of split thickness skin grafts taken from the scalp and thigh in children.

We compared 29 split thickness skin grafts taken from the thigh (group I) and 37 taken from the scalp (group II). The study was prospective with a follow-up period of 1 year. The average age was 29 months. Included in group I were those children whose parents refused permission for their hair to be shaved and those with burns to the head. We compared ease of technique, percentage of graft accepted, quality of the graft and after-effects of the donor site. Acceptance of the graft was close to 100 per cent in both groups. Harvesting was more difficult from the scalp (P < 0.0001). The quality of the grafts was identical in both groups. After-effects at the donor site were absent in group II and evident in group I (P < 0.0001). There was no alopecia. The scalp represented a better donor site for split-thickness skin grafting than the thigh in the child.