Efficacy of Application of Myriad Matrix to Split Thickness Skin Graft Sites

To determine if application of Myriad Matrix to split thickness skin graft donor sites improves post-operative pain and appearance of the wound.

In the head and neck practice at UAB, split thickness skin grafts are a commonly used procedure for simple reconstruction. The standard dressing for donor sites is a strip of vaseline gauze which remains on the site the wound dries, and the gauze eventually falls off. Post operative pain and poor wound healing is a well established complication of the donor site, and various methods have been studied in an attempt to reduce these complications for patients in the post operative period. (1, 2, 3) Myriad matrix is an engineered extracellular matrix (Ovine Forestomach Matrix) used for soft issue repair in complex wounds. This has been sporadically used by some of the faculty members at UAB for split thickness skin graft donor site dressings with anectodal improvement in pain and healing, though this has not yet been studied to our knowledge.