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Skin grafting for venous leg ulcers
1North Sefton and West Lancashire Community Trust, Churchtown Community Clinic, 137 Cambridge Road, Southport, Merseyside, UK, PR9 7LT.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|May 5, 2000
Summary
Artificial skin grafts show promise for healing venous leg ulcers when used with compression bandaging. However, more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of other skin graft types for these chronic wounds.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Wound Healing
Background:
- Venous leg ulceration is a prevalent and debilitating condition affecting up to 1% of adults.
- Standard treatment involves dressings and compression, but healing can be prolonged or unsuccessful.
- Skin grafts, including autografts, allografts, and xerografts, are explored to stimulate healing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of various skin grafting techniques in treating venous leg ulcers.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted, searching multiple databases and contacting experts.
- Seven RCTs involving skin grafts for venous leg ulcers were identified and analyzed.
- Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers.
Main Results:
- One trial indicated that artificial skin, combined with compression bandaging, significantly increased ulcer healing rates compared to compression alone.
- Two trials on split-thickness autografts and three on cultured keratinocyte allografts provided insufficient evidence.
- A small trial comparing artificial skin to split-thickness skin grafts did not yield conclusive results.
Conclusions:
- Limited evidence suggests artificial skin may improve venous ulcer healing when used with compression therapy.
- Further research is necessary to ascertain the effectiveness of other skin graft types for venous leg ulcers.