The Effectiveness of Currently Available Synthetic Skin Therapies

Introduction: Chronic wounds, burns, and traumatic injuries present significant clinical challenges due to infection risks, delayed healing, and complications such as scarring. Advanced wound care has evolved with the development of skin substitutes, categorized into biologic and synthetic matrices. Synthetic skin substitutes have gained popularity due to their reduced risk of disease transmission, cost-effectiveness, and ability to enhance wound healing through structural support and bacterial biocidal properties. Materials and Methods: This review uses the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to identify unique synthetic skin substitutes. Each company was contacted to obtain details about their respective products, including their composition, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and advantages. Studies, case reports, and clinical trials from the PubMed database, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov were also assessed to compare the effectiveness of these products in managing acute, chronic, and complex wounds. Results: The review found that synthetic skin substitutes offer several key advantages in managing chronic and complex wounds. These substitutes enhance wound healing by promoting cell migration, granulation tissue formation, and angiogenesis. They are also associated with improved cosmetic outcomes, reduced infection risks, and quicker wound closure. Many of the products reviewed demonstrated significant improvements in healing rates, with some showing faster recovery than traditional treatments. Additionally, the synthetic materials reduced the need for frequent dressing changes and minimized discomfort for patients. Overall, the results indicate that synthetic skin substitutes effectively improve wound care outcomes across various wound types. Conclusion: While synthetic skin substitutes offer promising outcomes in wound management, limitations such as high initial costs and the need for further research persist. Nonetheless, their ability to reduce infection risks, accelerate healing, and improve patient comfort makes them a valuable alternative to traditional biologic substitutes. Future studies should focus on long-term cost-effectiveness and broader clinical applications to validate their widespread use.