The skin is the largest human organ system. Loss of skin integrity due to injury or illness results in a substantial physiologic imbalance and ultimately in severe disability or death. The most common cause of significant skin loss is thermal injury, followed by trauma and chronic ulcerations.Over the past decades extraordinary advances have been made in the understanding of cellular and molecular processes of wound healing and the pathobiology of chronic wounds. This knowledge has led to wound care innovations that facilitate more rapid closure of wounds with better functional and aesthetic outcome.  A sensible and resource-saving utilization of these innovative technologies requires a broad knowledge of these processes and innovations.This book intends to give an overview about today's wound care developments in tissue engineering and skin replacement. It presents a variety of indications and diversities of clinical applications to help the surgeon select a specific procedure for each clinical situation.

Gives an overview of today's wound care developments as regards skin substitutes

Skin: Architecture and Function.- Skin Tissue Engineering.- Use of Novel Biomaterial Design and Stem Cell Therapy in Cutaneous Wound Healing.- In vivo Visualisation of Skin Graft Revascularisation.- The Role of Elastin in Wound Healing and Dermal Substitute Design.- Surface Modification by Cold Gasplasma: A Method to Optimize the Vascularization of Biomaterials.- Collagen Matrices with Enhanced Angiogenic and Regenerative Capabilities.- 3D Visualisation of Skin Substitutes.- Wound Coverage Technologies in Burn Care-Established and Novel Approaches.-Collagen Implants in Hernia Repair and Abdominal Wall Surgery.- The Use of Dermal Substitutes in Dermatosurgery.- The Use of Dermal Substitutes in Breast Reconstruction: An Overview.- Reconstruction of the Skin  in Post-traumatic Wounds.- Subdermal Tissue Regeneration.- Oral Mucosa Model Based on a Collagen-elastin Matrix.- The Use of Dermal Substitutes in Burn Surgery: Acute Phase.- Burn Reconstruction.