Creation of skin grafts from traumatic avulsed skin

Abstract

As the proportion of geriatric patients increases, so too does the incidence of geriatric trauma. Trauma centres must develop protocols to reduce the risk of complications from injuries in this specialised patient population. From a soft tissue standpoint, open wounds tend to heal slower in these patients and have a significant impact on their quality of life. In this case report, we describe our protocol for managing traumatic skin tears using a combination of traumatic skin grafts and minced expansion grafts with photographic documentation of the healing from significant wounds in an elderly patient involved in a high-energy blunt traumatic injury.

Keywords: geriatric medicine; plastic and reconstructive surgery; surgery.