A Modified Method To Create A Porcine Deep Dermal Burn Model

Development of an experimental burn model is essential to studying burn wound pathophysiology and progressivity, and identifying the best therapeutic choice before treatment can be applied clinically. Pigs are preferred as animal models for burns because their skin structure and wound regeneration resemble that of humans. We made a novel model to create a deep dermal burn using prospective methods that are easy to use, safe, and consistently reproducible. A custom-made burn device was used to create deep dermal burn wounds. A cylindrical plate made of stainless steel with a diameter of 2cm was connected to an electric heating device that was set to reach temperatures varying between 82-100°C. The hot cylindrical plate was applied perpendicular to the pig's skin with a pressure of 1kgf mechanical force for various periods of time (10-25s). Burns were created on the dorsum of a male Yorkshire pig sedated under anesthesia and analgesia. At the 7th day post burn, the burn wounds were evaluated macroscopically, and when one fulfilled the criteria for deep dermal burn, tissue was harvested for further histological analysis using hematoxylineosin staining. At the end of the study, the burn wounds created by the temperature 92°C for 20s showed tissue damage that meets the criteria for deep dermal burns. The development of this model might be useful for further study on burn wound healing.