26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland
Author Information
Author(s): Kaarle Antila, Jyrki Vuola, Andrew Lindford
Primary Institution: Helsinki Burn Centre, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital
Hypothesis
How has the quantity and quality of allografts changed over time in the Helsinki Skin Bank?
Conclusion
The Helsinki Skin Bank has significantly improved the procurement and processing of glycerol-preserved allografts, ensuring reliable access for burn victims.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean quantity of skin harvested per donor increased from 1400 cm2 to 5738 cm2 over the years.
- Between 2009 and 2020, the bank procured skin from 263 donors and provided allografts to 248 patients.
- The glycerol preservation method has proven highly effective, with minimal contamination and high microbiological safety.
- Despite rising costs, the locally run skin bank remains cost-effective and essential in burn care.
Takeaway
The Helsinki Skin Bank collects and preserves skin from donors to help burn victims, and over the years, they've gotten much better at it.
Methodology
The study reviewed files of the Helsinki Skin Bank to identify allograft donors and recipients from 2009 to 2020, collecting data on donor demographics and recipient outcomes.
Limitations
The study is limited to data from a single skin bank in Finland, which may not be generalizable to other regions.
Participant Demographics
{"donors":{"total":263,"gender_distribution":{"female":119,"male":144},"mean_age":55.0},"recipients":{"total":248,"mean_age":45.5,"age_range":"newborn to 90","percentage_under_18":15.3}}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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