Treatment of equine leg wounds using skin grafts: Thirty-five cases, 1975-1988.
Abstract: A retrospective study was conducted on 35 equine patients with lower leg wounds that were managed utilizing skin graft procedures. Two pinch graft, five punch graft, seven tunnel graft, eight split-thickness mesh graft and thirteen full-thickness mesh expansion graft procedures were performed in the initial treatment. The average wound size was 188 cm(2). Twentyfour cases had pregrafting complications: 10 wounds developed sequestra; three wounds were grossly contaminated and infected; and 11 cases developed granulation tissue complications prior to grafting. Graft failure following the initial procedure was seen in 12 cases and occurred with all techniques except pinch grafting. Graft failure was often attributable to poor quality of granulation tissue as well as anatomic site, especially the dorsal surface of the tarsus. An average of two additional grafting procedures was required to successfully treat initial failures. Pinch grafts took the longest time to epithelialize (70 days), followed by punch grafts (47 days). Both were similar in terms of being the least durable and least cosmetically acceptable of all techniques used. Split-thickness and full-thickness mesh expansion grafts were technically the most difficult, but showed the most rapid epithelialization (28 days), greatest durability, and the best cosmetic appearance. Tunnel grafts provided a practical technique for grafting cases which were either not suited for, or which had failed with, mesh expansion grafts.
Publication Date: 1990-11-01 PubMed ID: 17423690PubMed Central: PMC1480880
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The article presents a study on the treatment of lower leg wounds in horses using skin graft procedures. The research indicates the effectiveness, success rates, and factors influencing the different types of these grafts.
Study Design and Case Details
- This research is a retrospective study that reviews 35 horse cases with lower leg wounds treated using skin graft procedures.
- The graft techniques used included pinch graft (2 cases), punch graft (5 cases), tunnel graft (7 cases), split-thickness mesh graft (8 cases), and full-thickness mesh expansion graft (13 cases).
- The average size of the wounds treated by grafting was 188 square centimeters.
- Before the grafting process, complications were observed in 24 cases. These included occurrences of sequestra in wounds (10 cases), grossly infected and contaminated wounds (3 cases), and development of granulation tissue complications (11 cases).
Graft Failures and Causes
- The research found graft failure after the initial procedure in 12 cases and it was observed across all graft techniques except pinch grafting.
- Common reasons for graft failure identified include poor quality of granulation tissue at the graft site and certain anatomic locations of the wound, specifically the dorsal surface of the tarsus.
- An average of two additional grafting surgeries were required to properly treat the cases where initial grafting failed.
Analysis of Graft Techniques
- Pinch grafts took the longest time to epithelialize (70 days), followed by punch grafts (47 days). However, these techniques were the least durable and least cosmetically acceptable.
- On the other hand, split-thickness and full-thickness mesh expansion grafts, though technically challenging, were found to provide rapid epithelialization (28 days), high durability, and better cosmetic results.
- Tunnel grafts were deemed a practical technique for cases not suited for mesh expansion grafts or those that had previously failed with mesh expansion grafting.
Cite This Article
APA
French DA, Fretz PB.
(1990).
Treatment of equine leg wounds using skin grafts: Thirty-five cases, 1975-1988.
Can Vet J, 31(11), 761-765.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
References
This article includes 10 references
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