The effect of full-thickness skin grafts on the actomyosin content of contracting wounds.

In evaluating the myofibroblast theory of wound contraction, comparisons were made between grafted and nongrafted 15-day wounds. Pregnant rabbit uteri and normal rabbit skin were used as controls. Small amounts of actin and myosin were present in contracting open wounds but not in noncontracting grafted wounds, which suggests some participation for contractile proteins in wound contraction. The current study refutes the widely accepted contention that wound granulation tissue is as rich as smooth muscle in its contractile protein content.