Development of a Synthetic Polymer Burn Covering.

In a study on the development of a synthetic polymer burn covering, polylactic acid, polyepsiloncaprolactone, and lacticglycolic copolymer have been synthesized. In order to observe their adherence qualities, these polymers plus nylon, saran, urethane, Epigard, human skin, and rat skin have been applied to fully excised sections on the back of a rat. Also measured were water vapor transmission rates, Youngs moduli, and ultimate elongations for the synthetic polymers and freeze dried skin. It is concluded that insensible water loss from a burn wound area can be successfully controlled using either films of polylactic acid and polyepsiloncaprolactone or commercially available films. A polymer film without some structure does not provide spaces into which fibroblasts can grow hence, there has been no graft animal adherence of any of the flat films tested. A MACROSTRUCTURE, SUCH AS A FOAM OR VELOUR Epigard is necessary to promote good fibroblast growth to create a viable interface between the graft and the animal. AF-PL