The treatment of chronic skin ulcers with cryo-preserved cultured allogeneic epidermis transplants

In 18 patients with 25 chronic stasis ulcers and in 15 patients with 22 chronic leg ulcers of different aetiology, and in 7 patients with a variety of skin defects the effect of cryopreserved cultured allografts (CPA) on wound healing was investigated. The ulcers were grafted weekly or every other week on an outpatient basis until healing occurred. In 78% of the patients with stasis ulcers (84% of the ulcers) there was complete healing with a mean healing time of 31 days and a mean healing rate of 4.9 cm2 per week. The mean healing time of arterial and rheumatoid ulcers was 68 days and 56 days, respectively, while donor sites and erosive skin lesions all healed within 5 days. Five ulcers (9%), including one stasis ulcer, in 5 patients showed no change. We conclude that CPA is an easily applicable and effective biological product that profoundly stimulates the host epithelialisation, reduces the pain and is specifically effective in accelerating the healing of chronic stasis ulcers and donor sites.