Advantages of Collagen Based Biological Dressings in the Management of Superficial and Superficial Partial Thickness Burns in Children

The ultimate goal in the management of burn wounds is to obtain physiological closure in the shortest period of time. Traditional burn wound management involves cleansing, debridement and provision of a moist environment to encourage the process of natural healing. Hence, an ideal dressing material has to maintain a moist environment, act as a bacterial barrier, and as a medium for free exchange of gases, while providing a barrier against toxic contaminants. Research and development in the field of wound dressing has resulted in the fabrication and production of a wide variety of synthetic dressings. The various limitations of synthetic dressings lead researchers to seek dressings with superior qualities and functions, giving rise to interest in the development of biological dressings. Until 1990, Human Amnion was extensively used as a temporary biological cover for superficial partial thickness and deep partial thickness burns, providing good healing and epithelialization. Continued research for good functional biological dressings resulted in the evolution of collagen based dressings for burn wounds which have proven to be superior and more advantageous. 19-24 The development of collagen dressings is only logical given its unique structural and functional characteristics. Collagens are the most abundant and ubiquitous proteins in vertebrates. In addition to providing mechanical support to the connective tissue, the collagens form an essential substrate for cellular adhesion and migration. Therefore, collagen is considered to be an important factor in the regenerative process. Collagen is hemostatic, has low antigenicity, and supports cellular growth. The importance of collagen in burn wound healing has been appreciated for a long time. Wound healing and regeneration involves cell proliferation, cell migration, cell differentiation and interaction between the different components in which collagen may affect healing not only at the final stage but also in the very early stage of healing. Clinical trials were performed with the fabricated collagen membranes on burn wounds and the results show the advantages of the collagen membranes in burn wound healing.