A Pilot Clinical Study of Hair Grafting in Chronic Leg Ulcers
October 2012
in “
Wound Repair and Regeneration
”
TLDR Hair follicle grafting can help heal chronic leg ulcers.
This pilot clinical study evaluated the feasibility and healing potential of autologous scalp follicular grafts in chronic leg ulcers. It involved 10 patients with ulcers averaging 36.8 cm² in size and lasting 10.5 years. Each ulcer had a 2 × 2 cm experimental square receiving 20 hair grafts and a control square without grafts. At 18 weeks, the experimental squares showed a 27.1% reduction in ulcer area compared to 6.5% in control squares, with significant improvements in epithelialization, neovascularization, and dermal reorganization. The study concluded that hair follicle grafting is a promising outpatient treatment for nonhealing chronic leg ulcers.