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Updated: Feb 24, 2026
Tissue Characterization after a New Disaggregation Method for Skin Micro-Grafts Generation
Published on: March 4, 2016
Variability in split-thickness skin graft depth when using an air-powered dermatome: A paediatric cohort study
Craig A McBride1, Margit Kempf1, Roy M Kimble1
1Pegg Leditschke Children's Burns Centre, Department of Paediatric Surgery, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Children's Burns and Trauma Research, Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Australia.
Split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) from pediatric patients show inconsistent thickness, despite calibrated dermatome settings. This study highlights variability in graft thickness, with no clear predictors for deviation from the set thickness.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Plastic Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Calibrated powered dermatomes are widely used for harvesting split-thickness skin grafts (STSG).
- A key assumption is that these instruments produce grafts of uniform thickness.
- Statistical analysis of this assumption, particularly in pediatric populations, is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To statistically evaluate the uniformity of STSG thickness obtained with calibrated powered dermatomes.
- To test the assumption of consistent graft thickness in a pediatric cohort.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 140 STSGs from 91 pediatric patients undergoing thigh grafting.
- Grafts were set to a dialled thickness of 0.007 inches.
- Graft thickness was measured from a central biopsy and analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods.
Main Results:
- The median STSG thickness was 6.94 thousandths of an inch, with significant variability (IQR 5.05-9.28).
- No statistically significant differences in thickness were found based on surgeon, patient age, gender, number of graft harvests, or blade usage.
- The actual graft thickness showed a broad spread around the median, deviating from the assumed uniformity.
Conclusions:
- STSG thickness harvested with calibrated powered dermatomes is inconsistent.
- The study found a broad spread of graft thicknesses around the median value.
- No pre-operative predictors were identified that could reliably indicate significant deviation from the dialled dermatome thickness.
