Comparison of back versus thigh donor sites in pediatric patients with burns.

To substantiate an observation that donor sites that are harvested from the back scar less than those that are harvested from thighs, donor sites from both areas were evaluated for the extent of scarring. For donor sites that were harvested more that 1 year before evaluation, no significant improvements were observed. Back donor sites that were evaluated less than or equal to 1 year after harvest had significant improvements in height, color, edema, suppleness, and cosmetic appearance than those harvested from thighs. Thirty-two patients had both back and thigh donor sites harvested at the same time. Back donor sites had significant improvement in scar height, color, and edema. Cosmetic improvements were also observed. Significantly more patients preferred the back donor site over that of the thigh. The back is the preferred donor site for skin grafts in the pediatric burn population.