Effectiveness of Woven Silk Dressing Materials on Full-skin Thickness Burn Wounds in Rat Model

PURPOSE This study evaluated woven silk textile for burn wound dressing materials in an animal model. METHODS Ten rats were used in this experiment. Full-thickness 2×2 cm burn wounds were created on the back of the rats under anesthesia. In the experimental group, the wounds were treated with three different dressing materials from woven silk textile. In the control group, natural healing without any dressing material was set as control. The wound surface area was measured at five days, seven days, and 14 days. Wound healing was evaluated by histologic analysis. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences among groups at five days post injury. The mean defect size at seven days was largest in Group 3 (462.87 mm(2)), and smallest in Group 1 (410.89 mm(2)), not a significant difference (P =0.341). The mean defect size at 14 days was smallest at the Group 3 (308.28 mm(2)) and largest in the control group (388.18 mm(2)), not a significant difference (P =0.190). The denuded area was smaller in Group 1 (84.57 mm(2)) and Group 2 (82.50 mm(2)) compared with the control group (195.93 mm(2)), not statistically significant differences (P =0.066, 0.062). The difference between Group 3 and control was also not statistically significant (P =0.136). In histologic analysis, the experimental groups re-epithelialized more than control groups. No evidence was found of severe inflammation. CONCLUSION The healing of burn wounds was faster with silk weave textile more than the control group. There was no atypical inflammation with silk dressing materials. In conclusion, silk dressing materials could be used to treat burn wounds.