Figure 3

Autologous skin grafting. (a–e) HE-stained sections of a skin graft before (a) and after (b) defatting. The autologous grafts are transferred onto implanted Integra and are secured with sutures, a sterile plastic dressing (c) and a titanized mesh (d and e). (f–i) Stereomicroscopy of non-seeded (f and g) and prevascularized (h and i) implants immediately (f and h) and 5 days (g and i) after skin grafting. (j) Quantification of skin graft survival (% of total transplant) 5 days after transplantation. Mean ± SEM, n = 6, *P < 0.05 vs. non-seeded control. (k and l) HE-stained sections after skin grafting of non-seeded (k) and prevascularized (l) Integra. Double arrows = graft thickness. (m and n) Immunohistochemical detection of cytokeratin⁺ epithelium (n, arrowhead) after grafting of a non-seeded (m) and prevascularized (n) matrix. (o–q) Immunohistochemical detection of CD31⁺ microvessels (o and q, white arrowheads) within a skin graft 5 days after transplantation on prevascularized Integra. CD31/GFP co-staining reveals CD31⁺/GFP⁺ cells (p and q, empty arrowheads) involved in microvessel formation. Scale bars: a and b = 120 µm, c = 3 mm, d = 9 mm, f–i = 1.8 mm, k–n = 80 µm, o–q = 35 µm.