Bovine Dermal Collagen Matrix Promotes Vascularized Tissue Generation Supporting Early Definitive Closure in Full-Thickness Wounds: A Pre-clinical Study.

Objective Dermal matrices are commonly used to manage full-thickness wounds, impacting both functional and aesthetic outcomes. However, standard materials typically require 14-28 days to develop sufficient tissue for autografting. This study aimed to assess the potential of a novel bovine dermal collagen matrix (BDCM) to decrease the time required to develop tissue for autografting for accelerating the timeline for definitive wound closure. Methods Full-thickness excisional wounds were surgically created on Yorkshire pigs and treated with crosslinked collagen-based dermal matrices, including a bovine dermal collagen matrix (BDCM; Cohealyx, Collagen Matrix Inc., Oakland, NJ), a collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrix (ColGAG; Integra Bilayer Wound Matrix, Integra Life Sciences, Plainsboro, NJ), or a fish skin graft matrix (FSG; Kerecis Graft Guide, Isafjorour, Iceland). Seven days after application, matrix attachment and infection status were assessed, along with histological analyses of cellular infiltration, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis. The wound beds were then autografted and monitored for an additional 35 days to evaluate wound healing parameters, including skin graft take, re-epithelialization, and wound contraction. Results Seven days post-autografting, autograft take was 96.88 ± 7.04% for BDCM-treated wounds compared to 85.00 ± 34.10% and 68.00 ± 27.97% for ColGAG and FSG-treated wounds, respectively. The coefficient of variation was 7% for BDCM-treated wounds compared to approximately 40% for ColGAG and FSG-treated wounds. Histological analysis revealed that BDCM-treated wounds contained a persisting collagen scaffold that allowed cellular infiltration and angiogenesis with no infection. At 42 days, BDCM showed significantly less wound contraction (p<0.05) compared to the other dermal matrix-treated wounds. Conclusion Bovine dermal collagen matrix enables rapid cellular infiltration and vascularized tissue deposition, supporting highly consistent autograft take at seven days. The possibility of reducing time to definitive closure has the potential to significantly improve clinical outcomes of acute full-thickness wounds and lower the overall cost of treatment.