Full-thickness mesh skin grafts

摘要

A full-thickness mesh graft is a sheet of skin that includes only the epidermis and the entire dermis and is fenestrated to allow for expansion and drainage. All subcutaneous tissue is removed from the graft. Full-thickness mesh grafts are indicated to cover defects when skin is not available for local flaps or for moving local tissue or when excessive tension would be created by using such wound closure techniques as placing presutures or an adjustable horizontal mattress suture or making multiple punctate relaxing incisions (Figure 1). They are most commonly used to close mid- and distal-limb defects. Full-thickness mesh grafts are indicated for excision sites or for fresh wounds with well-vascular-ized tissue—enough vascularization to produce granulation tissue—or a bed of healthy granulation tissue that has started to epithelialize.