Ms Walei Zhang¹, Prof  Cecilia  Li-Tsang¹

¹The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hung Hom, Kln, Hong Kong

Abstract:

Hypertrophic scars (HS) developed after burn injuries would cause discomfort, joint contracture, deformities resulting disfigurement for burn survivors. Scar elasticity is directly associated with complications leading to dysfunction. Our research team has invented a new padding material, the Smart Scar Care Pad (SSCP), aiming at enhancing the hydration and occlusion effect of HS, at the same time, providing pressure intervention to reduce vascularity of the HS. This pilot study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of ‘Smart Scar-care pad (SCCP)’.

The study adopted a self-control cohort study design. 30 adults with post burn hypertrophic scar (HS) on limbs were recruited upon their consents. For each subject, two scar sites were selected. One scar site was treated by “Smart Scar-care pad (SCCP)” together with pressure garment as experimental group. Another scar site was prescribed with a form of padding and pressure garment as control group. Assessments were performed before treatment and after 45-day treatment on various parameters, including VSS, Hydration level, Melanin score, Erythema score, Elasticity, Retraction time and thickness, and end-users’ feedbacks.

Our preliminary result has demonstrated its clinical efficacy to improve HS elasticity. The SSCP appeared to show positive effect in management of HS through the occlusion and compression effect, particularly for those scars which are still very active and hypertrophic. Subjects reflected satisfaction towards the maintenance and the quality of ‘SCCP’, especially on its conformability, durability and adhesiveness. A large scale of RCT study would be conducted to verify its clinical efficacy.

Biography:

Prof. Cecilia W.P. Li-Tsang is specialized in the field of burns and scar management, developmental disabilities and hand rehabilitation. She is an active researcher as well as an expert clinician to manage complex hand, burns and paediatric cases. She is the Executive member of International Federation of Societies of Hand Therapy and the Member of Scar Academy of British Burns Association. She was successfully in bidding more than HK40 million of research funding support and has also published over 100 journal articles.