Amniotic membrane for safe and effective head and neck wound care

Aesthetic concerns add complexity to the management of maxillofacial wounds. Vishalkumar Boricha et al. distinguished between the efficacy of fish collagen and human amniotic membrane (HAM) as surgical dressings for soft tissue defects in the head and neck region in their recently published research in the ‘Journal of maxillofacial and oral surgery’.

Sixty patients with maxillofacial wounds from trauma or surgical excisions were divided into two groups comprising 30 patients each. Each group received either type I fish collagen membrane or HAM. The ease of operability, pain relief, wound recovery and safety of these membranes were evaluated.

HAM provided significantly better pain relief and wound healing compared to type I fish collagen membrane. Both materials were equally operable and safe, with no infections, burning sensations, or graft rejections reported.