title: Objective evaluation of the effect of autologous platelet concentrate on post-operative scarring in deep burns.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The healing of grafted areas after surgical treatment of deep burns frequently generates mutilating scars, and rises the risk of subsequent scar hypertrophy. Scar assessment based on clinical evaluation is inherently subjective, which stimulates search for objective means of evaluation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the effect of using autologous platelet concentrate (APC) in combination with split thickness skin grafting (STSG) on scarring processes following surgery of deep burns as compared with application of STSG alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected viscoelastic properties of 38 scars on 23 patients in total were examined using the Cutometer MPA 580 under controlled conditions for long-term outcomes 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery following deep burns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings of this study suggest that the STSG+APC combination reduces the time of scar viscoelastic properties recovery as compared with application of STSG alone. This was statistically significant for viscoelastic parameters R2 and Q1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  APC has been advocated to enhance scarring after surgery of deep dermal and full thickness burns. We objectively demonstrated that the viscoelastic properties of scars treated with STSG+APC combination return more rapidly to the plateau state than areas treated with STSG only.
authors.affiliation: Burn Center, University Hospital Ostrava, 17. listopadu 1790, 708 52 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic. klosova.h@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klosová
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stětinský
authors.forename: Iveta
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bryjová
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hledík
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017439:Cicatrix, Hypertrophic / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autologous platelet concentrate (APC); Burns assessment; Cutometer; Scar; Skin viscoelasticity; Split thickness skin graft (STSG); Surgical treatment of deep burns