Living Skin Substitute Tissue—Is a Replacement for the Autograft Possible?

Abstract

The ideal living tissue skin substitute for use in burn injury does not yet exist. The currently available alternatives to autologous skin grafting require an understanding of their characteristics and limitations to make an informed decision of surgical treatment options. In this review, living tissue substitutes are categorized by autologous and allogeneic cell sources and epidermal-only versus bilayered tissue options. A short summary of the tissue composition, clinical data, and indications is provided. Finally, the gap in technology is defined and future potential areas of research are explored.

Keywords

• skin substitute
• allogeneic
• autologous
• cultured skin
• burn
• skin grafts