Polylactic Acid Skin Substitute in Pediatric Burn Management: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Pediatric Surgery
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Pediatric burn injuries cause significant long-term morbidity, including delayed healing, infection, and scarring.
• Polylactic acid (PLA) skin substitutes offer a synthetic option for pediatric burn care, but evidence on their efficacy is variable.
• A formal synthesis is required to understand the outcomes associated with PLA skin substitutes in pediatric burn management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the efficacy of polylactic acid skin substitutes in pediatric burn management.
• To assess key outcomes including healing time, infection rates, hypertrophic scarring, and pain scores.
• To synthesize existing evidence to guide clinical practice and future research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases.
• Inclusion of nine studies involving 811 pediatric patients treated with polylactic acid membranes.
• Meta-analysis for healing time, infection rate, and hypertrophic scarring; qualitative analysis for heterogeneous studies.

Main Results:

• Pooled analysis indicated a weighted mean healing time of 14.0 days (moderate heterogeneity).
• Pooled infection rate was 5%, and pooled hypertrophic scarring rate was 12%.
• Narrative synthesis noted benefits like antioxidant effects but also challenges such as premature detachment.

Conclusions:

• Polylactic acid skin substitutes show promise in pediatric burn care, aiding reepithelialization and reducing complications.
• Findings support the utility of PLA skin substitutes, but outcome variability necessitates standardized protocols.
• Further investigation with standardized outcome measures is recommended to optimize pediatric burn management strategies.