[Transposition flaps adn full-thickness skin grafts used as interposition tissue: progressive physiological...

The capacity of health skin to expand, which has been known for a long time, has been used in plastic surgery since the work by Radovan. The sequelae of deep burns are sometimes responsible for retraction, particularly in flexion folds of the limbs, which are treated in our department by interposition of healthy skin in the form of local flaps or full-thickness skin grafts. The follow-up of several hundred patients over several years demonstrated that, in addition to the immediate skin gain, expansion or extension of the interposed healthy skin occurs. Nevertheless, only histological examination could confirm the reality of this progressive physiological expansion observed during the follow-up of our patients.