Microfragmented Adipose Tissue and Blood Plasma-Based Hydrogels for Treatment of Combat-Associated Burn Injuries
Abstract
Thermal injuries can be caused by exposure to a wide variety of sources including heat, electricity, radiation, chemical agents, and friction. According to the American Burn Association, approximately 500,000 people seek treatment for burn injuries every year. Of that population, about 45,000 have burn injuries requiring medical treatment with about 3,500 cases resulting in death. Thermal injuries are common to all military conflicts and historically constitute approximately 5% to 10% of all warfare military casualties. As a result of the improvised explosive devices being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, burns are the primary injury in approximately 5% of the personnel being evacuated, with infection being the leading cause of mortality. Even relatively small burns can be incapacitating, disfiguring, and painful and can strain the logistical and manpower resources of military medical units and thus overwhelm medical resource allocation requirements. Moreover, they cause serious psychological implications for both combat and medical personnel. Current therapeutic treatments for burn injuries are often associated with significant complications such as infection, cosmetically unacceptable scar formation, and incomplete wound healing. The current standard of care for the treatment of full thickness burns that destroy tissue all the way to the muscle involves wound excision followed by early coverage with autologous skin grafts. In many cases (i.e., those where there is a large percentage of the body burned), there is limited availability to obtain grafts for reconstruction. Even if available, skin grafts often achieve a less than ideal outcome. Many burn patients endure multiple surgical interventions for years after their initial injury, which significantly delays their recovery and return to function. Treatment is often deemed "complete" as a result of surgical fatigue and not from obtaining satisfactory results. The potential exists for the development of better treatments that will significantly improve functional and cosmetic outcomes in military Service member burn victims. The objective of this research is to investigate a novel method to replace the fat layer underneath the skin grafts that are used to cover full thickness burn wounds in an effort to improve burn wound healing and skin scarring. Using a device called Lipogems, fat is isolated by liposuction, processed, and then added to the burn wound before the skin graft is applied. This treatment will allow the wound to heal faster due to an increase in blood circulation and will result in faster healing and less scarring.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1620063
Entities
People
- Shanmugasundaram Natesan
Organizations
- United States Army
- United States Army Institute of Surgical Research