A comparison of two scar massage protocols in pediatric burn survivors

Scar Management and Dyschromia: A Summary Report from the 2021 American Burn Association State of the Science Meeting

Burn scars, and in particular, hypertrophic scars, are a challenging yet common outcome for survivors of burn injuries. In 2021, the American Burn Association brought together experts in burn care and research to discuss critical topics related to burns, including burn scars, at its State of the Science conference. Clinicians and researchers with burn scar expertise, as well as burn patients, industry representatives, and other interested stakeholders met to discuss issues related to burn scars and discuss priorities for future burn scar research. The various preventative strategies and treatment modalities currently utilized for burn scars were discussed, including relatively noninvasive therapies such as massage, compression, and silicone sheeting, as well as medical interventions such as corticosteroid injection and laser therapies. A common theme that emerged is that the efficacy of current therapies for specific patient populations is not clear, and further research is needed to improve upon these treatments and develop more effective strategies to suppress scar formation. This will necessitate quantitative analyses of outcomes and would benefit from creation of scar biobanks and shared data resources. In addition, outcomes of importance to patients, such as scar dyschromia, must be given greater attention by clinicians and researchers to improve overall quality of life in burn survivors. Herein we summarize the main topics of discussion from this meeting and offer recommendations for areas where further research and development are needed.

Proceedings of the 2021 American Burn Association State and Future of Burn Science Meeting

Periodically, the American Burn Association (ABA) has convened a State of the Science meeting on various topics representing multiple disciplines within burn care and research. In 2021 at the request of the ABA President, meeting development was guided by the ABA's Burn Science Advisory Panel (BSAP) and a subgroup of meeting chairs. The goal of the meeting was to produce both an evaluation of the current literature and ongoing studies, and to produce a research agenda and/or define subject matter-relevant next steps to advance the field(s). Members of the BSAP defined the topics to be addressed and subsequently solicited for nominations of expert speakers and topic leaders from the ABA's Research Committee. Current background literature for each topic was compiled by the meeting chairs and the library then enhanced by the invited topic and breakout discussion leaders. The meeting was held in New Orleans, LA on November 2nd and 3rd and was formatted to allow for 12 different topics, each with two subtopics, to be addressed. Topic leaders provided a brief overview of each topic to approximately 100 attendees, followed by expert-lead breakout sessions for each topic that allowed for focused discussion among subject matter experts and interested participants. The breakout and topic group leaders worked with the participants to determine research needs and associated next steps including white papers, reviews and in some cases collaborative grant proposals. Here, summaries from each topic area will be presented to highlight the main foci of discussion and associated conclusions.

Is massage an effective intervention in the management of post-operative scarring? A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Scar massage is a widely used treatment modality in hand therapy. This intervention is thoroughly discussed in the literature relating to burns rehabilitation, however, the evidence for its use in treating linear scars following surgery is limited.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

To collate the empirical literature on scar massage for the treatment of postsurgical cutaneous scars.

STUDY DESIGN

Scoping review.

METHODS

Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and the Joanna Briggs Institute were searched from inception to December 2020. Two researchers used a data extraction tool to record key demographic, intervention and outcome data, and to apply the Oxford Levels of Evidence for each study.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting on a combined sample of 1515 participants. Only two papers addressed hand or wrist scars (92 participants). While all studies reported favorable outcomes for scar massage, there were 45 different outcome measures used and a propensity towards non-standardized assessment. Intervention protocols varied from a single session to three treatments daily for 6 months. The results from 13 studies were confounded by the implementation of additional rehabilitation interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall findings suggest that while there may be benefits to scar massage in reducing pain, increasing movement and improving scar characteristics; there is a lack of consistent research methods, intervention protocols and outcome measures. This scoping review highlights the heterogenous nature of research into scar massage following surgery and supports the need for further research to substantiate its use in the clinical setting.