Imagine re-growing a severed fingertip with the help of a pig. It sounds like science fiction, but it's not. In fact, it’s happening at Wilson Memorial Hospital.
Jason Davis recently severed one of his fingertips in an accident. The 18-year old Anna resident is now watching his finger tip grow back with the help of Dr. Brent Bamberger, hand surgeon with Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio, and the wonders of regenerative medicine.
“Historically, we would have surgically repaired Jason’s fingertip,” said Dr. Bamberger. “A more complex procedure would have been required that would have left his finger deformed. With the advancement in medicine and the ACell MatriStem® treatment process we utilize a more natural approach that exhibits excellent results.”
ACell’s MatriStem regenerative medicine technology is a naturally occurring bioscaffold derived from porcine tissue (or swine tissue). When MatriStem is placed onto a wound, it is resorbed and replaced with new native tissue where scar tissue would normally be expected.
The treatment involved cleaning out Davis’ finger and removing scar tissue -- a process called debridement -- and then dipping the finger into MatriStem powder. After six weeks of treatment, his fingertip should grow back. Davis should regain full functionality of his finger once completely healed.
Why pig tissue? “Pig tissue is completely resorbable and acellular material,” said Dr. Bamberger. “It has a basement membrane that can go in anyone’s body. The MatriStem technology fundamentally changes the healing process by triggering abundant new blood vessel formation and recruiting numerous cell types to the site of injury.”
MatriStem devices are currently available in sheet and powder form and can be used in a broad range of medical applications such as severed finger trauma, wound care, general surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, urology and plastic and reconstructive surgery.
To learn more about ACell MatriStem visit, www.acell.com. For more information on Dr. Bamberger and Orthopedic Associates of SW Ohio, contact their Sidney office at (937) 494-5266.
