A Novel Skin Grafting Technique with 1:100 Expansion: Xpansion Micrografting System

Background: In case of large burn injuries, split-thickness skin graft (STSG) is limited by donor skin availability. It is not possible to achieve an expansion of more than 1:9 using conventional STSG. Here we introduce Xpansion micrografting technique, which allows a substantially larger expansion ratio enabling adequate coverage of large wounds. Methods: Pre-clinical and clinical studies using the Xpansion micrografting technique were reviewed in this study. In each pre-clinical study, the subject had a control wound and the wound healing outcome was defined by pre-determined parameters at specific time points. Clinical studies were reviewed to evaluate the efficacy of this technique in human subjects. Results: The Xpansion micrografting technology is able to achieve 100 fold expansion with wound healing quality comparable to STSG. In the pre-clinical studies utilizing this technique, the wound healing parameters such as the rate of re-epithelialization and wound contraction were significantly better than the control non-transplanted wounds. Multiple clinical reports demonstrated successful use of this technique in the treatment of large burn injuries with 1:100 expansion ratio and also in chronic ulcer wounds resistant to conventional therapies. Conclusions: This new technique has two main advantages: 1) In large wounds such as burn injuries, it provides an expansion ratio of 1:100, 2) In small wounds, it enables the wound care practitioner to graft the wound in an outpatient setting without the need for an operating room. Abstract