OBJECTIVE: The present study compared the treatment of skin wounds by means of conducted healing (an innovative method for treatment of secondary healing) and autogenous skin graft. METHODS: Seventeen rabbits were submitted to removal of two skin segments, one on each side of the dorsum. The graft donor area was left as a wound for conducted healing (A) and was submitted only to debridement, local care and dressings. The skin removed from the above mentioned side was implanted as a graft (B) to cover the wound on the other side. Thus, each animal received the two types of treatment on its dorsum (A and B). Rabbits were divided into two groups according to size of the wounds: Group 1 - A and B (4 cm²) and Group 2 - A and B (25 cm²). Healing time was of 19 days for Group 1 and of 35 days for Group 2. The final macro- and microscopic aspects of healing were comparatively analyzed in the four subgroups. Presence of inflammatory cells, of epidermal cysts and of giant cells was assessed by histology. Data were statistically analyzed by the nonparametric Fisher, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: No macro- or microscopic difference was observed between conducted healing and skin graft, although conducted healing led to a more rapid wound healing. CONCLUSION: Conducted healing seems to be a good therapeutic option for skin wounds in rabbits.
Wound healing; Skin transplant; Debridement; Dressings
