Fixation of skin grafts in the horse using stainless steel staples

Three horses with a chronic wound on the distal part of a leg were treated successfully by grafting. Small split skin grafts were fixed onto pieces of adhesive tape. The tape pieces were spread over and fixed to the granulation surface with stainless steel staples. A tight pressure bandage including strongly compressed cellular rubber was then applied over the wound. The combination of staple fixation and strong pressure proved effective in immobilising the skin graft. It was stressed that a firm covering of granulation tissue was a prerequisite for success and therefore the technique should not be used for fresh wounds.