Publications by authors named "Savanah Sturm"

Large osseous defects resulting from trauma, tumor resection, or fracture render the inherent ability of the body to repair inadequate and necessitate the use of bone grafts to facilitate the recovery of both form and function of the bony defect sites. In the United States alone, a large number of bone graft procedures are performed yearly, making it an essential area of investigation and research. Synthetic grafts represent a potential alterative to autografts due to their patient-specific customizability, but currently lack widespread acceptance in the clinical space.

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Amniotic membrane, derived from the innermost placenta, is widely employed in surgery to help regenerate soft tissue and promote re-epithelialization. The authors detail a case report of a 59-year-old female who presented with a large, full-thickness scalp avulsion injury (13 × 10 cm) after being attacked by her pet pitbull. Innovative application of "snowflake" or fragmented amniotic membrane to her wound bed was used during both stages of scalp reconstruction: irrigation and debridement with Integra biological membrane placement and later split-thickness skin grafting.

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