A study of using aborted bovine fetal skin and skin allograft for repairing critical skin defect in dogs

Abstract EN

The present study was designed to compare the potential repair efficacy of using either skin xenograft or allograft on the treatment of induced skin defects.

The study was conducted on twelve stray dogs.

Their weight and age ranges were 12-18 kg and 10-15 months, respectively.

Animals were randomly allocated into two equal groups.

In the first group, a 10 cm of full-thickness skin piece was harvested aseptically from a 4-month-aborted fetus.

Along with, in the experimental animals, comparable skin defects were created at the lateral aspect of the forelimb.

The grafts were fixed firmly to the wound bed by suturing.

In the second group, the skin grafts (10 cm) were harvested from the lower abdomen of dogs and were firmly fixed over induced wounded beds at the forelimb of other dogs.

In the first group, a few days postoperatively, the operative site demonstrated dryness, scar tissue formations, delayed wound healing, and local inflammation.

However, after one-month post-surgery, there was a separation of the grafted tissue from the wound bed and signs of tissue rejection.

In first group, histopathological examination revealed extensive infiltration of the inflammatory cells and separation of the grafted tissue from the subdermal layer.

In the second group, the repaired site exhibited inflammatory signs and skin ulcers during the first postoperative week.

After one month of the operation, formations of granulation tissue and restoration of normal skin coloration without hair formation were revealed on the allograft site.

Complete skin healing and union of the graft with the recipient host were determined after two months of surgery.

Histopathological examination demonstrated fibrocystic hyperplasia of the grafted tissue one month post-operatively, while deposition of collagen fibers was the main feature at the second month.

In conclusion, unlike using of skin from the aborted bovine fetuses, the study specified the successful outcomes of using skin allograft in tissue repairing in dogs.