Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
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J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. · Nov 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyHair follicle-containing punch grafts accelerate chronic ulcer healing: A randomized controlled trial.
A prominent role of hair follicle-derived cells in epidermal wound closure is now well established but clinical translation of basic research findings is scarce. Although skin punch grafts have been used as a therapeutic intervention to improve healing of chronic leg ulcers, they are normally harvested from nonhairy areas, thus not taking advantage of the reported role of the hair follicle as a wound-healing promoter. ⋯ Autologous transplantation of terminal hair follicles by scalp punch grafts induces better healing than punch grafts harvested from nonhairy areas. Hair punch grafting is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that appears to be effective as a therapeutic tool for chronic venous leg ulcers.