The evaluation of relevant factors influencing skin graft changes in color over time.
BACKGROUND
Objective studies evaluating the relevant factors that affect skin graft changes in color over time have yet to be published.


OBJECTIVE
Therefore, the patterns of the grafted skin's color changes and the presence of relevant factors were analyzed statistically.


METHODS
The study included 107 skin grafts in 107 subjects. Using a chromameter, the colors of skin graft, the area adjacent to the recipient site, and the donor site were measured. The grafted skin's color changes and the color difference were analyzed with respect to several factors.


RESULTS
Over time, the grafted skin became lighter, redness decreased, yellowness increased, and the color difference decreased. As the donor site was lighter, the grafted skin was lighter and less red. The grafted skin was lighter in females than in males. The skin graft type was not related to the lightness and the redness. The grafted skin was lightest in the upper arm and darkest in the lower leg. The grafted skin was lighter in Fitzpatrick Skin Type III, followed by Type IV and then Type V.


CONCLUSIONS
The factors that affected the skin graft's lightness were time, the lightness of the donor, sex, the hand, the foot, and Fitzpatrick skin type.
Kim
Jun Sik
JS
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Hospital, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea.
Park
Sang Woo
SW
Choi
Tae Hyun
TH
Kim
Nam Gyun
NG
Lee
Kyung Suk
KS
Kim
Jang Rak
JR
Lee
Sang-Il
SI
Kang
Dawon
D
Han
Ki Hwan
KH
Son
Dae Gu
DG
Kim
Jun Hyung
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003116:Color; D003124:Colorimetry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing