Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT05074199 |
Other study ID # |
1195990 |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Completed |
Phase |
N/A
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
February 26, 2018 |
Est. completion date |
September 1, 2021 |
Study information
Verified date |
September 2021 |
Source |
University of California, Davis |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
The purpose of this study is to compare the cosmetic outcome of traditional straight-line
(SL) linear closure to that of W plasty (a type of geometric broken-line cutaneous closure
technique) for closure of post-auricular wounds resulting from harvest of full thickness skin
grafts during Mohs micrographic surgery. The research team will use a split wound model,
where half of the wound is repaired with a straight-line cutaneous closure and the other half
is repaired with the W-plasty technique. Three-months post-surgery, the scar will be measured
via the patient observer scar assessment scale (POSAS), a validated scar instrument. The scar
width, and adverse events will also be recorded.
Description:
Optimizing the cosmetic appearance of surgical scars is an important element of cutaneous
surgery, especially for procedures performed on conspicuous areas of the body such as the
head and face. Multiple factors have been shown to affect the aesthetic outcome of scars
resulting from cutaneous surgery including the amount of tension on the resultant surgical
wound, suture technique and type of sutures used. The use of various wound closure techniques
including linear straight-line (SL) and geometric broken-line closure techniques (Z-plasty,
W-plasty) to achieve a superior cosmetic scar outcome, has been debated in the dermatology
and plastic surgery literature with few studies comparing SL and broken-line closure
techniques and mixed results as to which modality provides a superior cosmetic outcome [2]. A
study of forehead donor site closure in in 31 undergoing a paramedian forehead flap procedure
showed that W-plasty provided a superior cosmetic outcome over straight-line closure, however
another study in 30 patients undergoing tempo-parietal facial flaps found that W-plasty
resulted in an inferior cosmetic outcome compared to linear closure. In addition, a large
national survey of over 800 lay public participants found that linear scars were perceived as
more cosmetically favorable than zig-zag scars in three facial locations (temple, cheek and
forehead). Currently, there are no studies comparing the two closure techniques in a
split-scar design, which can ameliorate many potentially confounding individual patient
factors that could affect scar outcome.
Full-thickness skin grafts (FTSGs) are a commonly utilized reconstructive option in cutaneous
surgery, and are typically harvested from behind the ear (postauricular) to close surgical
defects on the head and face following surgical removal of both benign and malignant
cutaneous tumors. This study aims to investigate whether the choice of straight-line linear
closure versus a zig-zag broken line cutaneous closure technique (W-plasty) affects the
cosmetic outcome of postauricular scars resulting from donor site closure following FTSG
harvest. Additionally, skin lesions removed behind the ear present another opportunity to
compare outcomes of these two techniques in an inconspicuous location.