The extended use of skin homografts.

Postmortem skin homografts have been used extensively at this institution in the management of children with burns and with skin losses of other types. The present study was designed with a dual purpose in mind: first, to determine the benefits of temporary homograft skin coverage to burned individuals in conjunction with silver nitrate topical therapy; and second, to investigate the use of homograft in situations other than burns where skin loss is a problem. In 1953, Brown and his group advocated the use of postmortem homografts as biological dressings in cases of severe burns.1This method of therapy had first been described by Girdner in 1881 but little attention was given to it.2Even now, only a few groups around the country have been able to implement this form of therapy, mainly because there is a lack of availability of cadaver skin. Those involved in work with skin