A Composite Application Technique of Single-stage Dermal Templates to Improve Handling and Ease of Use

Joanneke Maitz; Lucas G Carelli; Elizabeth Coady; Duncan Loi; Peter Maitz

doi:10.1097/GOX.0000000000006094

A Composite Application Technique of Single-stage Dermal Templates to Improve Handling and Ease of Use

Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2024 Aug 23;12(8):e6094. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000006094. eCollection 2024 Aug.

Authors

Joanneke Maitz^{1

2

3}, Lucas G Carelli¹, Elizabeth Coady³, Duncan Loi¹, Peter Maitz^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ From the Department of Burns and Reconstructive Surgery, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
² Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Research Group, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

The "work horse" for the treatment of full-thickness defects of any etiology, including chronic nonhealing wounds and traumatic injuries, is generally autologous split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs), meshed, hand-fenestrated, or a sheet graft. Advancements in skin tissue engineering have allowed for the integration of dermal substitutes to be combined with autologous STSGs, adding valuable options for restoring the skin's complex multilayered structure. Although dermal templates offer a promising avenue for more nuanced reconstruction in certain cases, their application is not without challenges, particularly when they are made from delicate materials. The following technique simplifies the application technique of single-stage dermal templates by using a composite approach. To demonstrate this technique, MatriDerm, a 1-mm-thick bovine collagen-elastin dermal template, is used to enable an STSG to be applied in a one-stage procedure.