The use of collagen-based matrices in the treatment of full-thickness wounds

Chronic and complex full-thickness wounds have become increasingly prevalent. Besides autologous skin transplantation, innovative wound dressing products have gained interest, as the functional and esthetic outcome is still limited. In this respect, the effect of a novel modifiable collagen-gelatin fleece on the healing of deep dermal wounds was examined and compared with untreated controls and Matriderm®. A total of 48 full-thickness skin defects were generated on six minipigs and treated with the novel collagen-gelatin fleece of different thicknesses in single or multiple application (n = 36) or treated with Matriderm® in a single application (n = 6), or the wounds were left untreated (n = 6). Wound healing was analyzed planimetrically by wound closure per time and histologically with regard to epidermal thickness and cell density. Compared to untreated wounds, wound closure per time and histological skin quality with regard to the mean epidermal thickness and epidermal cell amount were enhanced in both treatment groups. Overall, the best results for the novel collagen-gelatin fleece were achieved for multiple applications with a thickness of 150 g/m2. The novel biomaterial shows accelerated and improved dermal wound repair in a minipig model. As the manufacturing process of the scaffold allows the integration of bioactive substances such as antibiotics and growth factors, we intend to design a composite biomaterial using this scaffold as a carrier matrix.