Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Visualizing Scar Development Using SCAD Assay - An Ex-situ Skin Scarring Assay
Published on: April 28, 2022
Keratin gel improves poor scarring following median sternotomy
N Hamesh Jina1, Clive Marsh, Martin Than
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Background:
Linear hypertrophic scarring is a common surgical problem that can be difficult to manage. This article evaluates median sternotomy wounds that have often been reported to scar poorly resulting in hypertrophic scar formation.
Methods:
This study is a single-blinded, open-labelled pilot study of 20 patients using keratin gel as the intervention and aqueous cream as the control, which are each applied to a different half of the wound daily over 6 months. We use the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and the Manchester Scar Score (MSS) to assess the scarring.
Results:
At the 6-month assessment the MSS, patient-POSAS and observer-POSAS were 12.00, 16.70 and 15.00 in the treatment half and 12.58, 17.85 and 16.55 in the control half respectively. Overall, we found that there was a decrease in all score scales after 6 months (P = 0.005). Furthermore, in the subset of patients with poor scarring, decreases in the MSS, patient-POSAS and observer-POSAS were statistically significant (P = 0.025, <0.01 and 0.01) with scores of 12.22, 17.33 and 15.33 in the treatment half and 14.22, 23.67 and 22.33 in the control half respectively.
Conclusion:
In patients who scar more poorly than average, there were significant improvements in scarring. This demonstrates a simple, well-tolerated intervention that reduces problematic scarring following surgery.
