Scar Quality of Skin Graft Borders: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Evaluation.

Prominent scars may remain around the border of a mature skin graft (SG) at the interface of the SG with normal skin. The border of a SG may be constructed by either exactly approximating (A) or slightly overlapping (O) the edge of the SG on the wound margin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether A or O affects the quality of the border scar of SGs applied to burn patients.

Construction of Skin Graft Seams in Burn Patients: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blinded Study.

Prominent scars and contractures may form along the seams between adjacent skin grafts. Seams may be constructed either by approximating the graft edges (AP), or by slightly overlapping the graft edges (OV), but it is not known if one technique creates a less conspicuous seam scar. The purpose of this study was to compare seam scars between seams constructed using the AP and OV techniques.

Late outcomes after grafting of the severely burned face: a quality improvement initiative.

Many approaches to surgical management of the severely burned face are described, but there are few objective outcome studies. The purpose of this study was to perform a detailed evaluation of the late outcomes in adult patients who have undergone grafting using a standardized surgical and rehabilitation approach for full-thickness (FT) facial burns to identify areas for improvement in the treatment strategy of authors. This was a prospective observational study in which patients who had undergone grafting for FT facial burns by the senior investigator at a regional burn centre between 1999 and 2010 were examined by a single evaluator.

The utility of the functional independence measure (FIM) in discharge planning for burn patients.

Determining burn patients' need for inpatient rehabilitation at discharge is difficult and an objective clinical indicator might aid in this decision. The functional independence measure (FIM) is a validated outcome measure that predicts the need for rehabilitation services. This study evaluated the utility of the FIM score for discharge planning in burn patients.

Effective hand function assessment after burn injuries.

This study compared two methods of hand function assessment, the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) and the Test d'Evaluation des Membres Supérieurs des Personnes Agées (TEMPA) in 20 patients discharged from a regional adult burn center (1995-1999). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was used to compare the MHQ and TEMPA scores, with P <.05 considered significant.

Effects of enhanced patient education on compliance with silicone gel sheeting and burn scar outcome: a randomized prospective study.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether enhanced patient education increases compliance with silicone gel sheeting (SGS) on hypertrophic (HT) scars and to determine whether this results in any improvement in scar outcome. Outpatients with a HT burn scar were randomized to either a conventional education group (CEG), which received routine instruction on the use of SGS or to an enhanced education Group (EEG), which also received routine instruction, along with a detailed 5-page handout and a 26-minute videotape. The CEG (n = 12, 67% male, age 38 +/- 10 years) and the EEG (n = 13, 77% male, age 47 +/- 10 years) were followed monthly for 6 months.

Changes in subjective vs objective burn scar assessment over time: does the patient agree with what we think?

It is not known whether objective measurements of burn scar quality reflect, or even bear any relationship to, the patient's opinion of their scar. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any correlation exists between the rehabilitation therapist's rating of the scar using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and the patient's subjective opinion of their scar. A total of 37 scars in 20 adult patients (mean age, 34 +/- 13 years; 30% female; mean %TBSA burn, 16 +/- 11%) were evaluated at 3.

The effect of silicone gel sheets on perfusion of hypertrophic burn scars.

The mechanism of action of topical silicone gel sheets on hypertrophic scars is not well understood and their effect on the blood flow within hypertrophic scars has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine whether application of silicone gel sheets produced any acute effects on blood flow in hypertrophic burn scars. Perfusion of hypertrophic scars and adjacent normal skin was measured using a laser Doppler with and without application of silicone gel sheets.