How to create burn porcine models: a systematic review

Management of burn patients is challenging, and requires a lot of knowledge and experience gained through research. However, experimental study on humans is not morally and ethically accepted. Porcine is the most frequently used experimental model because pig skin is anatomically and physiologically similar to human skin. We included systematic reviews, meta analyses, and experimental studies of burns using porcine models. We excluded studies conducted more than 10 years ago and which included only thermal injuries. Burn injury made to the porcine model had to be second or third degree. Searches of Ovid MEDLINE, Pubmed, Burns Journal and Cochrane Library revealed 21 relevant studies. Three methods used to create full thickness burn wounds were found: aluminium, brass, and immersion in hot water. The aluminium bar was heated to 200°C and placed on the pig's skin for 20 seconds. For deep dermal burns, there are different methods: modified glass bottle and aluminium bar. The bottle is filled with sterile water and heated to the desired temperature (92°C), then placed on the pig's skin for 15 seconds. To measure burn wound depth, almost all the studies used histopathological evaluation. There was no standardised method to create burn wounds in porcine models. Nevertheless, for deep dermal burn wounds, we can use the modified glass bottle method and for full thickness burn wounds, we can use aluminium or brass. There are no previous studies discussing how to make burn porcine models, nor any studies in this review that focused on creating the burn wound alone. Further studies are needed to achieve better results in creating burn wounds in porcine models.