Christian Ottomann, MD, Bernd Hartmann, MD, Josh Tyler, MD, Heike Maier, MD, Richard Thiele, MD,Wolfgang Schaden, MD, Alexander Stojadinovic, MD, FACS – Between January 2006, and September 2007, 28 patients with acute traumatic wounds and burns requiring skin grafting were randomly assigned in a 1:1 fashion to receive standard topical therapy (nonadherent silicone mesh [Mepitel, Mölnlycke Health Care] and antiseptic gel [polyhexanide/octenidine]) to graft donor sites with (n 13) or without (n 15) defocused
extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT, 100 impulses/cm2 at 0.1 mJ/mm2) applied once to
the donor site, immediately after skin harvest. The randomization sequence was computer generated, and the patients were blinded to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was time to complete donor site epithelialization and was determined by an independent blinded observer.
