Myskin™ case studies

Patient Profile
Mrs B
68 years old

Medical Condition
Two chronic non-healing pressure ulcers.

Before myskin

The Patient
After receiving a burn to her leg Mrs B was left with scar tissue causing her foot to become deformed. Pressure ulcers developed from her corrective footwear and despite conventional treatment they remained unhealed for three years. Mrs B was also awaiting surgery to correct her foot which was not possible until the ulcers had healed.

Evaluation
Mrs B has undergone three skin grafts along with conventional treatment all of which have failed to heal the ulcers. Mrs B was then referred for treatment with myskin.

For myskin treatment, a thin biopsy (approximately 0.6mm thick, 2cmx2cm) of skin is taken from the thigh area and transported to the laboratory in sterile saline solution. The biopsy is treated with a digestive enzyme overnight. The following day the keratinocytes are isolated from the dermal/epidermal junction, multiplied in cell culture and stored in liquid nitrogen until they are needed.

Three days before dressings are required, keratinocytes are thawed and cultured on a 5cm silicone disc. These discs have a patented surface layer that encourages keratinocytes, to transfer from the dressing to the wound bed and promote re-epithelialization. This cell transfer process takes about four days after which the myskin dressing can be removed and a standard dressing applied.

Mrs B attended the clinic for the once weekly dressing applications which, after four days, were removed and replaced with a standard dressing. Twenty two weeks after the first myskin dressing was applied one ulcer had healed completely and the second healed after forty five weeks.

Both Ulcers Healed

Outcome
After two applications Mrs B experienced a significant reduction in pain and once the ulcers had completely healed Mrs B was referred back to the orthopaedic team. She has since had her foot deformity corrected with no complications post operatively. Mrs B has now resumed activities which she previously enjoyed such as swimming and has been on holiday.

Due to the severity, location and age of the ulcers it was necessary for Mrs B to have several more applications of myskin than usually required. It has been found that up to twelve applications are usually needed to heal a chronic wound although the number of applications may vary between patients.

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