CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2013; 40(06): 697-704
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2013.40.6.697
Original Article

The Effects of Topical Agent (Kelo-Cote or Contractubex) Massage on the Thickness of Post-Burn Scar Tissue Formed in Rats

Won Jin Ko
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Young Cheon Na
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
Wonkwang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Bum Sin Suh
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Hyeon A Kim
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Woo Hoe Heo
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Gum Ha Choi
Department of Pathology, Wonkwang University Hospital, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
,
Seo Ul Lee
Wonkwang Institute of Clinical Medicine, Iksan, Korea
› Author Affiliations

Background We conducted an experimental study to compare the effect of massage using topical agents (Kelo-cote or Contractubex) on scar formation by massaging the healed burn wound on the dorsal area of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.

Methods Four areas of second degree contact burn were made on the dorsal area of each of 15 SD rats, using a soldering iron 15 mm in diameter. After gross epithelialization in the defect, 15 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the Kelo-cote group, Contractubex group, Vaseline group, and control group. Rats in three of the groups (all but the Control group) were massaged twice per day for 5 minutes each day, while those in the Control group were left unattended. For histologic analysis, we performed a biopsy and evaluated the thickness of scar tissue.

Results In the Kelo-cote and Contractubex groups, scar tissue thicknesses showed a significant decrease, compared with the Vaseline and control groups. However, no significant differences were observed between the Kelo-cote and Contractubex groups. In the Vaseline group, scar tissue thicknesses showed a significant decrease, compared with the control groups.

Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that massage using a topical agent is helpful in the prevention of scar formation and that massage only with lubricant (no use of a topical agent) also has a considerable effect, although not as much as the use of a topical agent. Thus, we recommend massage with a topical agent on the post-burn scar as an effective method for decreasing the scar thickness.

This article was supported by Wonkwang University in 2012.




Publication History

Received: 05 July 2013

Accepted: 02 August 2013

Article published online:
01 May 2022

© 2013. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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