Widely expanded postage stamp skin grafts using a modified Meek technique in combination with an allograft overlay.

Abstract A method for obtaining widely expanded postage stamp autografts, first described in 1963 by C. P. Meek, has been evaluated in our burns unit. The technique, in which an expansion ratio of 1: 9 is achieved with the aid of special prefolded gauzes, was combined with an overlay of glycerol-preserved allografts applied 1 week after grafting. This delay did not appear to affect graft take. In a series of 16 consecutive skin graft procedures performed on 10 patients with extensive burns, the mean epithelialization rate was 90 per cent (range 70–100 per cent) within 5 weeks. Cosmetic results were comparable to those achieved with widely expanded mesh grafts. The Meek technique utilizes small pieces of autograft, and has proved to be a practical alternative to mesh grafts when donor sites are limited.