Epithelialization of porcine partial thickness wounds following application of collagen dressings

Background: The current study assessed differences in epithelialization following the application of three different collagen dressings to porcine partial thickness wounds.

Methods: Paraspinal partial-thickness wounds were created using a dermatome (5 cm x 5 cm, 500 m deep) in Yorkshire swine (n = 3). Three different collagen based dressings with porcine collagen (collagen 1#), ovine collagen (collagen 2*) or oxidized regenerated cellulose and collagen (collagen 3+) were used to treat these wounds. Wounds were then covered with a secondary foam dressing to manage exudate. After 72 hours, tissue samples were collected, and re-epithelial coverage was estimated from H&E stained sections.

Results: Neoepithelial coverage was 40% for Collagen 1, 38% for Collagen 2, and 59% for Collagen 3. Epithelial coverage for collagen 3 was significantly improved at this time point (p

Conclusion: Collagen 3 demonstrated improved re-epithelialization in a skin graft donor site pre-clinical model, suggesting that it can improve closure rates for this wound type and potentially in other wounds requiring epithelialization. The data presented are consistent with Chowdhry¹ who showed in a retrospective study that graft donor sites were re-epithelialized more quickly when collagen 3 dressings were used.

*Endoform® Natural Dermal Template (Aroa Biosurgery Ltd, New Zealand)
#BIOSTEP^◊ Collagen Matrix Dressing (Smith and Nephew, Hull, UK)
+Promogran™ Matrix Wound Dressing (3M, Maplewood, MN)

1. Chowdhry, S.A. 2019. JPRAS, 22: 33-40.