Fast and Standardized Skin Grafting of Leg Wounds With a New Technique: Report of 2 Cases and Review of Previous Methods.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic leg ulcers remain a challenge to the treating physician. Such wounds often need skin grafts to heal. This necessitates a readily available, fast, simple, and standardized procedure for grafting. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to test a novel method developed for outpatient transplant procedures. METHODS: The procedure employs a handheld disposable dermatome and a roller mincer that cut the skin into standardized micrografts that can be spread out onto a suitable graft bed. Wounds were followed until healed and photographed. RESULTS: The device was successfully used to treat and close a traumatic lower limb wound and a persistent chronic venous leg ulcer. The donor site itself healed by secondary intent with minimal cosmetic impairment. CONCLUSION: The method was successfully used to graft 2 lower extremity wounds.