A comparison of the Tanner and Bioplasty skin mesher systems for maximal skin graft expansion.

Maximizing wound coverage of patients with burns who have meshed autografts is a primary intervention for wound closure. This study compared the Tanner and Bioplasty skin graft meshing systems for optimal skin graft expansion. Twenty patients for skin grafting were randomly assigned to either a Tanner or Bioplasty skin mesher group. Skin expansion ratios used with the Tanner group were 1.5:1 and 3:1, while Bioplasty ratios included 2:1 and 4:1. The patients' thighs were used exclusively as donor sites, and all grafts were harvested by the same surgeon. Expanded skin ratios were compared as to the difference in percent of predicted expansion outcome compared with the actual areas of the measured skin grafts. Comparing the differences of actual skin expansion with expected expansion, statistically significant results were found. When meshed skin grafts are used for wound closure, a 12.9% to 58.6% greater than anticipated area of donor skin should be harvested based on the expansion ratio selected.