Comparison of different skin preservation methods with gamma irradiation.

Allografts are in constant demand, not only for burn victims, but also for all open wounds as "biological dressings". Tissue quality and security are two of the major concerns of Tissue Banks. There are limited studies published. There has been extensive discussion on the subject of preservation methods for cadaver skin. Most literature available comes from clinical reports. In this research, the authors compared 85% glycerolized non irradiated skin allografts with three glycerolized irradiated skin allografts (using different glycerol concentrations 50%, 70% and 85%). The evaluation of allograft quality was done by measuring physical and biological properties of such prepared human tissue grafts. In the histological structure evaluation changes were minimal and did not alter the skin structure. The clinical function of their behavior as temporal dressings was tested. They proved to have similar capabilities for improving granulating tissue and contributing to wound beds closure (Hickerson et al. (1994) [1]).