British journal of plastic surgery
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The effect of heparin on the progress of healing in the injured tendon was examined after a standard injury had been created in the Achilles tendons of New Zealand White rabbits. Half of the rabbits were then treated by the intratendinous injection of heparin. ⋯ Orientation of collagen fibres was more pronounced in treated than untreated tendons while cellularity and blood vessel density were less pronounced. Analysis by Students t-test demonstrated a statistically significant difference between treated and untreated tendons in terms of leg diameter (p less than 0.005), dry weight (p less than 0.01) and DNA concentration (p less than 0.01).
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This paper reports the findings of a national survey of Medical Schools and Plastic Surgery Units. The survey has shown that plastic surgery is included in the undergraduate curriculum of 78% of the Medical Schools in the United Kingdom, and that this teaching load is shared by 77% of the Plastic Surgery Units in the United Kingdom. The results of a survey of medical students from the University of Oxford are also presented.
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Scars, following burns to the face or subsequent skin grafts, can become hypertrophic. The concept of pressure in their treatment is not new. Elastic garments have been popularised and used successfully. ⋯ The use of a semi-rigid face mask in the treatment of hypertrophic scars is described. These masks are comfortable to wear, well tolerated and very effective. Case reports are presented and the technique of manufacture detailed.
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The treatment of leukoderma after burns can be difficult. The white patches are often extensive and the adjacent scar tissue itself may need excision and this further increases the size of the final defect. Moreover, when sheet skin grafts are used it is difficult to produce an inconspicuous border between skin graft and surrounding normal skin. We have developed a new technique to treat depigmentation following burns with minimal donor site morbidity and encouraging results.