Free Skin Grafting to Reconstruct Donor Sites After Radial Forearm Flap Harvesting

Wuerzburg University Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer

Treatments: Procedure: Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05137639

143/20-me

Details and patient eligibility

About

Reconstruction of the donor site after radial forearm flap harvesting is a common procedure in maxillofacial plastic surgery. Unfortunately, free skin graft transplantation faces wound healing impairments such as necrosis, (partial) graft loss, or tendon exposure. Several studies have investigated methods to reduce these impairments and demonstrated improvements if the wound bed is optimized. However, these methods are device-dependent, expansive, and time-consuming. Therefore, the application of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to the wound bed could be a simple, cost effective, and device-independent method to optimize wound-bed conditions instead. In this study, PRF membranes were applied between the wound bed and skin graft.

Full description

Reconstruction of the donor site after radial forearm flap harvesting is a common procedure in maxillofacial plastic surgery. It is normally carried out with split-thickness or full-thickness free skin grafts. Unfortunately, free skin graft transplantation faces wound healing impairments such as necrosis, (partial) graft loss, or tendon exposure. Several studies have investigated methods to reduce these impairments and demonstrated improvements if the wound bed is optimized, for example through negative pressure wound therapy or vacuum-assisted closure. However, these methods are device-dependent, expansive, and time-consuming. Therefore, the application of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) to the wound bed could be a simple, cost effective, and device-independent method to optimize wound-bed conditions instead. In this study, PRF membranes were applied between the wound bed and skin graft. Growth factor release could stimulate fibroblast migration, wound healing and angiogenesis. Further more PRF act as a lubricant layer to protect skin graft from tendon motion. This could improve graft in-growth.

Enrollment: 32 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• >18 years, donor site on the forearm after radial forearm flap surgery, free skin graft reconstruction of this skin defect, informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• <18 years, inclusion criteria were not met

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

PRF group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants received platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) prior to free skin grafting

Treatment:

Procedure: Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF)

non-PRF group

No Intervention group

Description:

Standard surgical procedure (free skin grafting to reconstruct donor sites without PRF).