Establishment of an Animal Model with Hypertrophic Scar

Objective To establish an animal model of hypertrophic scar on the rabbit ears to observe the process of scar formation on the ventral side of the rabbit ears.Methods Full skin defect(2 cm×5 cm in diameter)was created on the ventral side of 72 ears in 38 New Zealand white rabbits.1% silver sulfadiazine cream was applied to the wounds,and the dressing was changed every a day till wound healing.Four ears without operation were taken as control.Wound healing under natural condition was observed continuously 8 months after the operation,The scar proliferation on the rabbit ears was observed by light microscope,the scar index and collagen content were determined by sliding caliper and computer image analyzing system.Results The color,thickness and texture of the wounds on the rabbit ears after epithelization underwent a process of scar overgrowth,maturation and degeneration.The change in scar index and collagen content were in accordance with the wax and wane of scar proliferation.Conclusion The animal model of hypertrophic scar induced by full thickness skin wounds on the ventral side of rabbit ears was similar to that in humans.The results indicated that this animal model was ideal for the study of the developmental mechanism of hypertrophic scars and for the evaluation of the efficacy of the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scars