Preservation of skin by refrigeration for autogenous grafting in the horse.

This research aimed to study the efficacy of preserving skin by refrigeration for autogenous grafting in horses. It found that the grafts stored for a longer duration (2-3 weeks) showed better results compared to those stored for a shorter time (1 week).

Methodology

• The researchers worked with 18 stored split thickness meshed skin grafts, which they applied to surgically created lesions on the metacarpal and metatarsal regions of six horses.
• The skin that was to be used as the donor skin was harvested from the sternal region, a process commonly known as Autogenous grafting where the donor and recipient are the same individual.
• The harvested skin was then meshed and stored at 4 degrees Celsius in a cell culture medium containing 10% serum. Meshing involves making small cuts in the donor graft to allow it to expand.
• The grafts were applied to the wounds at various intervals, namely at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks after being stored.

Findings

• The results of the study showed a large difference in the success rates of the grafts depending on their storage duration.
• The acceptance of the 1-week-old grafts was generally poor, with only 1 of 6 grafts showing successful acceptance.
• On the other hand, the acceptance rate of the 2 and 3-week-old grafts was excellent, with 10 out of 12 grafts being accepted by the recipient’s body.
• The researchers attributed the poor acceptance of the 1-week-old grafts to a streptococcal infection found in the recipient wounds.

Conclusions

• This study concluded that by using the storage medium and grafting technique described, excellent acceptance can be expected after graft storage of up to 3 weeks, with the caveat that any infections in the recipient’s wound might affect the success rate of the graft.
• These findings shed light on the importance of storage duration for skin grafts in horses, which can be significant for veterinary surgery.