Comparison of the effect of a collagen dressing and a polyurethane dressing on the healing of split thickness skin graft (STSG) donor sites.

Recent advances in the resurfacing of burn wounds with dermal equivalents and collagen preparations have shown the efficacy of collagen. To investigate the benefits (if any), standardised split skin donor areas were chosen to compare the influence of collagen on re-epithelialisation. A bovine collagen preparation consisting of type-I collagen was prospectively compared with polyurethane film dressing in a study of 20 split thickness skin graft donor sites. The rates of epithelialisation, the discomfort experienced by the patients and the convenience of the dressings were assessed. The median time from operation to the observation of complete healing was 7.5 (+/- 2.5) days for the donor sites dressed with the collagen membrane and 12.5 (+/- 3.4) days for the the donor areas dressed with a polyurethane film (p < 0.001). The discomfort experienced by the two groups of patients was significantly less after wound coverage with collagen (p < 0.005). Haematomas or seromas that required repeated aspiration was seen under the polyurethane film dressing. The collagen dressing was more expensive than the polyurethane film, but improved wound healing compared with the polyurethane dressings.