Skin grafting is a surgical procedure in which skin or skin substitute is placed over a burn or wound to replace damaged skin or provide a temporary wound covering.

Wounds such as third-degree burns must be covered as quickly as possible to prevent infection and loss of fluid. Without a skin graft, wounds can contract, causing serious scars. Wounds that don't heal well, such as diabetic ulcers, or bedsores, can be treated with skin grafts to prevent infection. Skin grafting isn't necessary for first-or second-degree burns, which heal with little or no scarring.

Skin protects the body from fluid loss, helps to regulate temperature, and helps keep out germs. More than 50,000 people are hospitalized with burns each year in the United States, and 5,500 die. Approximately 4 million people suffer from non-healing wounds.

Skin for grafting can be obtained from another part of the patient's body if there...