title: Development and ultra-structure of an ultra-thin silicone epidermis of bioengineered alternative tissue.
abstract: Burn wound care today has a primary objective of temporary or permanent wound closure. Commercially available engineered alternative tissues have become a valuable adjunct to the treatment of burn injuries. Their constituents can be biological, alloplastic or a combination of both. Here the authors describe the aspects of the development of a siloxane epidermis for a collagen-glycosaminoglycan and for nylon-based artificial skin replacement products. A method to fabricate an ultra-thin epidermal equivalent is described. Pores, to allow the escape of wound exudate, were punched and a tri-filament nylon mesh or collagen scaffold was imbedded and silicone polymerisation followed at 120°C for 5 minutes. The ultra-structure of these bilaminates was assessed through scanning electron microscopy. An ultra-thin biomedical grade siloxane film was reliably created through precision coating on a pre-treated polyethylene terephthalate carrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia.
authors.forename: Quenton
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Etheresia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pretorius
mesh_terms: D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D009757:Nylons; D012828:Silicones; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D009757:Nylons; D012828:Silicones; D012833:Siloxanes; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Bioengineered alternative tissue; Burn wound; Siloxane epidermis; Temporary skin substitute; Ultra-thin membrane