Reassessment of the suction blister model of wound healing: introduction of a new higher pressure device

Background Negative pressure suction blisters have been used as a reproducible and minimally invasive in vivo model of wound healing in human subjects. Despite advantages over other available methods, this technology has not been employed widely in wound healing research. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a higher pressure suction blister system as an in vivo human model for wound healing and to demonstrate the superiority of this method over previously used suction blister models of wound healing. Methods Four 5-mm-diameter suction blisters were induced on the medial upper arm of 18 healthy men and women using a negative pressure of 508 mmHg. Blister roofs were removed, exposing the underlying dermis. The time required for blister formation, the uniformity of wounds, and the degree of patient tolerance were assessed. The ability to monitor clinical re-epithelialization over 7 days was also evaluated by a team of investigators. Results Four partial-thickness wounds were produced on each subject in 25-45 min. Wound diameter and morphology were uniform in all subjects. Volunteers tolerated the procedure without complaints of pain or discomfort. Progressive, re-epithelialization was observed daily starting 24 h post-wounding. Conclusions This higher pressure suction blister system is an effective model for wound healing. Compared to reported methods, it is a better tolerated, more reliable, and more efficient approach to studying in vivo wound repair in human subjects. It is especially well suited for screening the wound healing potential of new pharmacologic agents.