Full-thickness skin graft

A skin graft that includes the whole epidermis and dermis, taken from a donor site that is then closed directly — in front of or behind the ear, above the collarbone, the inner upper arm or the groin. It contracts little and matches facial skin well, but needs a well-vascularised bed and a still, padded dressing to take.

Related terms

• Procedure

  Skin graft

  A thin layer of skin removed from one part of the body and placed on a wound elsewhere; survives initially by absorbing nutrients before new blood vessels grow in from the wound bed.

• Procedure

  Split-thickness skin graft

  A skin graft of the epidermis and part of the dermis, shaved with a dermatome from a donor site (usually the thigh) that heals on its own under a dressing. It takes more reliably and covers larger wounds than a full-thickness graft, but contracts more and looks paler and shinier than the surrounding skin.

• Procedure

  Local flap

  A piece of skin and underlying tissue moved from next to a wound into the wound while it stays attached to its own blood supply. Because the skin comes from the same area, its colour and thickness match well. Common types are advancement, rotation and transposition flaps.

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