Dermal Replacements in General, Burn, and Plastic Surgery

Book excerpt: The skin is the largest human organ system. Loss of skin integrity due to injury or illness results in a substantial physiologic imbalance and ultimately in severe disability or death. The most common cause of significant skin loss is thermal injury, followed by trauma and chronic ulcerations. Over the past decades extraordinary advances have been made in the understanding of cellular and molecular processes of wound healing and the pathobiology of chronic wounds. This knowledge has led to wound care innovations that facilitate more rapid closure of wounds with better functional and aesthetic outcome. A sensible and resource-saving utilization of these innovative technologies requires a broad knowledge of these processes and innovations. This book intends to give an overview about today's wound care developments in tissue engineering and skin replacement. It presents a variety of indications and diversities of clinical applications to help the surgeon select a specific procedure for each clinical situation.