Skin grafting

Abstract

A skin graft may be necessary when closure of a wound is required, but primary closure or use of a flap is not feasible due to size or location of a wound. Skin grafts can have cosmetic, functional, and practical purposes. A defining characteristic of grafts is that they are completely separated from their original blood supply and depend entirely on the development of a blood supply with the recipient wound bed for survival. Full-thickness skin grafts (FTSG) and split-thickness skin grafts (STSG) are the two broad categories of skin grafts. While grafts do not have quite the cosmetic match as tissue adjacent to the primary wound, harvesting from anatomic locations that are similar in color and texture to the wound is beneficial and preferred. Proper patient selection, meticulous execution, and close follow-up are essential to ensuring a successful graft. Both cosmetic and functional outcome can be excellent.