TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainable effect of skin stretching for burn scar excision: Long-term results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial
AU - Verhaegen, Pauline D. H. M.
AU - van der Wal, Martijn B. A.
AU - Bloemen, Monica C. T.
AU - Dokter, Jan
AU - Melis, Paris
AU - Middelkoop, Esther
AU - van Zuijlen, Paul P. M.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Purpose: Primary wound closure of large defects after burn scar excision may be facilitated by intraoperative stretching of the adjacent skin. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the effect of skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision (SS) was compared to scar excision without additional techniques (SE). Short-term results already showed that in the SS group larger scars could be excised in a one-step procedure. In this paper, the long-term scar outcome using reliable and valid measurement tools was evaluated. Basic procedures: The percentage of total remaining scar area (i.e. remaining scar compared to preoperative scar), the percentage of linear scarring (i.e. surface area of linear scar compared to excised scar) and scar hypertrophy was measured at 3 and 12 months postoperatively. Main findings: At 12 months postoperatively, the percentage of total remaining scar area was significantly lower in the SS group (26%) compared to the SE group (43%). The percentage of linear scarring (SS: 21%, SE: 25%) and the incidence of hypertrophy (SS: 29%, SE: 40%) were not significantly different between the treatment groups. Conclusions: This RCT demonstrates the long-term beneficial and sustainable effect skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision without leading to wider linear scars or more scar hypertrophy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved
AB - Purpose: Primary wound closure of large defects after burn scar excision may be facilitated by intraoperative stretching of the adjacent skin. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the effect of skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision (SS) was compared to scar excision without additional techniques (SE). Short-term results already showed that in the SS group larger scars could be excised in a one-step procedure. In this paper, the long-term scar outcome using reliable and valid measurement tools was evaluated. Basic procedures: The percentage of total remaining scar area (i.e. remaining scar compared to preoperative scar), the percentage of linear scarring (i.e. surface area of linear scar compared to excised scar) and scar hypertrophy was measured at 3 and 12 months postoperatively. Main findings: At 12 months postoperatively, the percentage of total remaining scar area was significantly lower in the SS group (26%) compared to the SE group (43%). The percentage of linear scarring (SS: 21%, SE: 25%) and the incidence of hypertrophy (SS: 29%, SE: 40%) were not significantly different between the treatment groups. Conclusions: This RCT demonstrates the long-term beneficial and sustainable effect skin stretching for wound closure after scar excision without leading to wider linear scars or more scar hypertrophy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2011.04.018
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.burns.2011.04.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 21726949
SN - 0305-4179
VL - 37
SP - 1222
EP - 1228
JO - Burns
JF - Burns
IS - 7
ER -