Grafting of leg ulcers with undifferentiated keratinocytes.

A procedure for transplanting cultured human keratinocytes has been developed and used successfully to treat patients with persistent leg ulcers. Shave excisions of donor skin of 1 cm2 or less were expanded in culture in 1 week to cover wounds as large as 90 cm2. The uniqueness of this system is the use of a biochemically modified surgical dressing that permits the transplantation of undifferentiated cells. Several hours after inoculation, trypsinized single cells become attached to the dressing and are ready for grafting. Seven of eight persistent stasis ulcers completely reepithelialized after application of the modified surgical dressing with undifferentiated keratinocytes.