26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland
Autologous skin grafts are the gold standard for definitive wound coverage in burn care, but allograft skin grafts are essential for providing temporary coverage in cases of extensive burns. The Helsinki Skin Bank, established in 1995 at the Helsinki Burn Centre, is Finland’s only licensed skin bank...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | European Burn Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1991/5/4/38 |
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| author | Kaarle Antila Jyrki Vuola Andrew Lindford |
| author_facet | Kaarle Antila Jyrki Vuola Andrew Lindford |
| author_sort | Kaarle Antila |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Autologous skin grafts are the gold standard for definitive wound coverage in burn care, but allograft skin grafts are essential for providing temporary coverage in cases of extensive burns. The Helsinki Skin Bank, established in 1995 at the Helsinki Burn Centre, is Finland’s only licensed skin bank, serving a population of 5.5 million. It procures human skin allografts from multi-organ donors in the Greater Helsinki area and preserves them using glycerol, a method pioneered by the Euro Skin Bank. Between 2009 and 2020, the Helsinki Skin Bank procured skin from 263 donors and provided allografts to 248 patients, primarily burn victims. Over time, procurement methods have improved significantly, resulting in an increase in the amount of skin harvested per donor. Despite rising costs due to more stringent European Union regulations and the need for round-the-clock operations, the bank has remained cost-effective. The glycerol preservation method ensures microbiological safety and effective storage, with minimal contamination issues. The future may see advances in skin substitutes and stem cell treatments, but for now, allogenic skin remains crucial in burn care due to its availability, ease of use, and cost-efficiency. Running a small, professional skin bank for a single burn center has proven successful and sustainable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aef950c7608b494a864cf4d4bb03e65f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2673-1991 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Burn Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-aef950c7608b494a864cf4d4bb03e65f2025-08-20T02:53:34ZengMDPI AGEuropean Burn Journal2673-19912024-12-015442943710.3390/ebj504003826 Years of Skin Banking in FinlandKaarle Antila0Jyrki Vuola1Andrew Lindford2Helsinki Burn Centre, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, 00029 Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki Burn Centre, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, 00029 Helsinki, FinlandHelsinki Burn Centre, Department of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, 00029 Helsinki, FinlandAutologous skin grafts are the gold standard for definitive wound coverage in burn care, but allograft skin grafts are essential for providing temporary coverage in cases of extensive burns. The Helsinki Skin Bank, established in 1995 at the Helsinki Burn Centre, is Finland’s only licensed skin bank, serving a population of 5.5 million. It procures human skin allografts from multi-organ donors in the Greater Helsinki area and preserves them using glycerol, a method pioneered by the Euro Skin Bank. Between 2009 and 2020, the Helsinki Skin Bank procured skin from 263 donors and provided allografts to 248 patients, primarily burn victims. Over time, procurement methods have improved significantly, resulting in an increase in the amount of skin harvested per donor. Despite rising costs due to more stringent European Union regulations and the need for round-the-clock operations, the bank has remained cost-effective. The glycerol preservation method ensures microbiological safety and effective storage, with minimal contamination issues. The future may see advances in skin substitutes and stem cell treatments, but for now, allogenic skin remains crucial in burn care due to its availability, ease of use, and cost-efficiency. Running a small, professional skin bank for a single burn center has proven successful and sustainable.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1991/5/4/38allograft skinskin bankglycerolprocurementorgan donorburns |
| spellingShingle | Kaarle Antila Jyrki Vuola Andrew Lindford 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland European Burn Journal allograft skin skin bank glycerol procurement organ donor burns |
| title | 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland |
| title_full | 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland |
| title_fullStr | 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland |
| title_full_unstemmed | 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland |
| title_short | 26 Years of Skin Banking in Finland |
| title_sort | 26 years of skin banking in finland |
| topic | allograft skin skin bank glycerol procurement organ donor burns |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-1991/5/4/38 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kaarleantila 26yearsofskinbankinginfinland AT jyrkivuola 26yearsofskinbankinginfinland AT andrewlindford 26yearsofskinbankinginfinland |