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Clinical Experience with the Self‐assembled Skin Substitue as a Biological Dressing for Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers Treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Venous ulcers are the most common chronic wounds of the lower limbs. In our laboratory, the self‐assembly method is used to reconstruct autologous skin that can be used as a biological dressing (In Vitro Cell Dev Bio Anim, 1999: 35, 318; J Chem Eng, 2001: 79, 663). Goals and Methods: The aim of this study was to establish if our self‐assembled skin substitute (SASS) allows the closure of nonhealing venous leg ulcers. A case study of a 68‐year‐old woman with a chronic venous leg ulcer present for over one year and measuring 135 cm2 is thus herein presented. The autologous cells were isolated from a cutaneous biopsy (1 cm2) and cultivated in vitro(J Chem Eng, 2001: 79, 663). The autologous SASS was produced and assembled by the cells thus it does not contain any exogenous or synthetic material (In Vitro Cell Dev Bio Anim, 1999: 35, 318). The wound was debrided, covered with grafts of SASS and maintained in place with a compressive dressing (Coban, 3M, St‐Paul, MN). A new SASS was applied weekly until wound closure. The SASS seemed to lessen the pain caused by the ulcer. Seven applications of the SASS were necessary to lead to a full wound closure. Conclusion: Venous leg ulcer quickly reepithelialized after application of our SASS This case indicates that use of the SASS can reduce pain and promote closure of nonhealing leg ulcers Furthermore, we thus hope that our SASS biological dressing maybe clinically useful to treat difficult‐to‐heal leg ulcers. This study was approved by the Health Canada’s Therapeutic Products Directorate and by the Ethic Committee of the CHAUQ, Saint‐Sacrement Hospital. Acknowledgements: Fédération des Pompiers du Québec pour les Grands Brûlés.