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ABSTRACT: Background
Most patients with facial scarring would value even a slight improvement in scar quality. Botulinum toxin A is widely used to alleviate facial dynamic rhytides but is also believed to improve scar quality by reducing wound tension during healing. The main objective was to assess the effect of Botulinum toxin on scars resultant from standardized upper lip wounds.Methods
In this double-blinded, randomized, vehicle-controlled, prospective clinical trial, 60 consecutive consenting adults undergoing cleft lip scar revision (CLSR) surgery between July 2010 and March 2012 were randomized to receive botulinum toxin A (n?=?30) or vehicle (normal saline; n?=?30) injections into the subjacent orbicularis oris muscle immediately after wound closure. Scars were independently assessed at 6-months follow-up in blinded fashion using: Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and photographic plus ultrasound measurements of scar widths.Results
58 patients completed the trial. All scar assessment modalities revealed statistically significantly better scars in the experimental than the vehicle-control group.Conclusion
Quality of surgical upper lip scars, which are oriented perpendicular to the direction of pull of the underlying orbicularis oris muscle, is significantly improved by its temporary paralysis during wound healing.Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01429402.
SUBMITTER: Chang CS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4277415 | biostudies-literature | 2014
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Chang Chun-Shin CS Wallace Christopher Glenn CG Hsiao Yen-Chang YC Chang Chee-Jen CJ Chen Philip Kuo-Ting PK
PloS one 20141226 12
<h4>Background</h4>Most patients with facial scarring would value even a slight improvement in scar quality. Botulinum toxin A is widely used to alleviate facial dynamic rhytides but is also believed to improve scar quality by reducing wound tension during healing. The main objective was to assess the effect of Botulinum toxin on scars resultant from standardized upper lip wounds.<h4>Methods</h4>In this double-blinded, randomized, vehicle-controlled, prospective clinical trial, 60 consecutive co ...[more]