BACKGROUND: Over the past ten years, an alternative for maxillofacial reconstruction was offered through regenerative medicine. It provided a new scope for improving the reconstruction of the oral and maxillofacial structures whether they are hard tissues which include the teeth and bone or the soft tissues like the oral mucosa, skin, nerves and blood vessels.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the collagen chitosan scaffolds on the duration and quality of skin surface healing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental in vivo comparative study was conducted, on twelve adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, where an induced skin wound was made on the backs of rats and then classified into two groups; 1-control group and 2-scaffold group. The effect of the collagen-chitosan scaffolds on the duration and quality of skin surface healing were assessed using Masson's trichrome staining for collagen fibers and the imageJ software to calculate % area after wound healing also the number of CD 68 macrophages was counted using histological sections then the two groups were compared using student t-test (p < 0.05).
RESULTS: The scaffold group showed accelerated wound healing in comparison to the control group and with a significant result. Quality of healed skin was significantly better in the scaffold treated group, which is attributed to the better collagen alignment and deposition in the stained histological sections indicated by the % area after wound healing. The number of CD 68 macrophages was higher in the scaffold group compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION: The collagen chitosan scaffolds can be considered as a treatment regimen for treating skin wounds.