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. 2022 May 18;11(10):2857.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11102857.

Evaluation of Scar Quality after Treatment of Superficial Burns with Dressilk® and Suprathel®-In an Intraindividual Clinical Setting

Jennifer Lynn Schiefer  1 , Janine Andreae  1 , Paul Christian Fuchs  1 , Rolf Lefering  2 , Paul Immanuel Heidekrueger  3 , Alexandra Schulz  1 , Mahsa Bagheri  1
Affiliations

Evaluation of Scar Quality after Treatment of Superficial Burns with Dressilk® and Suprathel®-In an Intraindividual Clinical Setting

Jennifer Lynn Schiefer et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Various synthetic and biological wound dressings are available for the treatment of superficial burns, and standard care differs among hospitals. Nevertheless, the search for an ideal wound dressing offering a safe healing environment as well as optimal scar quality while being economically attractive is a continuing process. In recent years, Dressilk®, which consists of pure silk, has become the standard of care for the treatment of superficial burns in our hospital. However, no long-term scar-evaluation studies have been performed to compare Dressilk® with the often-used and more expensive Suprathel® in the treatment of superficial burns.

Methods: Subjective and objective scar evaluations were performed three, six, and twelve months after treatment in patients who received simultaneous treatment of 20 superficial burn wounds with both Suprathel® and Dressilk®. The evaluations were performed using the Vancouver Scar Scale, the Cutometer®, Mexameter®, Tewameter®, and the O2C®.

Results: Both dressings showed mostly equivalent results in subjective scar evaluations. In the objective scar evaluations, the wounds treated with Dressilk® showed a faster return to the qualities of non-injured skin. Wound areas treated with the two dressings showed no significant differences in elasticity and transepidermal water loss after 12 months. Only oxygen saturation was significantly lower in wound areas treated with Suprathel® (p = 0.008). Subjectively, wound areas treated with Dressilk® showed significantly higher pigmentation after six months, which was not apparent after 12 months.

Conclusion: Both wound dressings led to esthetically satisfying scar recovery without significant differences from normal uninjured skin after 12 months. Therefore, Dressilk® remains an economically and clinically interesting alternative to Suprathel® for the treatment of superficial burns.

Keywords: Dressilk; Suprathel; silk; superficial burns; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors disclose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted study since it was partly supported by Prevor (France), Nevertheless, Prevor had no influence in planning and conducting the study. Furthermore, Prevor had no role in the data analysis and the submitted manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Partial thickness burn of the left leg; (A,B) before and after debridement; (C) 6-month follow-up; (D) 12-month follow-up.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Partial thickness burn of the left leg; (A,B) before and after debridement; (C) application of Dressilk and Suprathel; (D) 3-month follow-up; (E) 6-month follow-up; (F) 12-month follow up.
Figure 3
Figure 3
R2-values (visco-elasticity) after 3 months of areas treated initially with Suprathel (blue), Dressilk(orange) and the uninjured control area (green).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Level of melanin in arbitrary Mexameter® units after 12 months of areas treated initially with Suprathel (blue), Dressilk (orange) and the uninjured control area (green).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in g/h/m2 after 6 months of areas treated initially with Suprathel (blue), Dressilk (orange) and the uninjured control area (green), significant differences marked.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Flow in arbitrary units after 3 months of areas treated initially with Suprathel (blue), Dressilk (orange) and the uninjured control area (green), significant differences marked.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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