Integra Lifesciences

Thomas Gilbert

Tissue Engineering Strategist

Products derived from human and animal tissues, often referred to as tissue technologies, have offered outstanding results in medical care for decades in the specific areas of soft tissue, nerve, and tendon repairs. These products are notable for aiding individual patients suffering from severe tissue damage, while also supporting large-scale reconstruction efforts for those who were injured in disasters. These include earthquakes in Haiti, 9/11 and the Iraq War. Medical experts such as Ian Valerio, MD, MS, MBA, of Massachusetts General Hospital have underscored the benefits and potential opportunities of regenerative therapies in treating complex wounds. One breakthrough product has paved the way for similar approaches in tissue technologies, some of which have been introduced and others that could be on the way. This year was the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the Integra® Dermal Regeneration Template (IDRT).

IDRT was the first engineered collagen product for clinical use and underwent a rigorous regulatory study with thousands of patients before receiving the FDA approval. Since its inception, IDRT – still, the only FDA-approved regenerative skin technology for the treatment of life-threatening burns – has revolutionized care for severe injuries. The utility for IDRT has gone well beyond its initial intended use, with new clearances in dural and nerve repair and general management of wounds. While this global product started in the United States, it is now used in surgeries in more than 50 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Japan. Over the last 30 years, Integra Dermal Matrices have been studied in more than 300 clinical trials and studies.

One example of a product that uses similar technology to IDRT is the Integra® Bilayer Wound Matrix (IBWM). Recent data published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showed that 70 percent of wounds for lower extremity soft tissue reconstruction using IBWM successfully healed within 180 days. An additional study that was published in the journal showed that IBWM resulted in shorter surgery times and length of stay in the hospital as well as cost of care compared to other products.

With these innovations, patients can heal sooner and more completely with enhanced functional repair in terms of scarring and even mobility. They can more quickly leave hospitals and get back to their lives. This has become even more meaningful during the COVID-19 pandemic in generating efficiencies for getting patients in and out of the hospital, alleviating the burden on the healthcare system. 

Naturally occurring products consisting of human, bovine and porcine tissues were created by building on the technology of the foundational IDRT and have treated numerous conditions. Their ability to successfully provide collagens and proteins to support tissue healing has enabled us to develop multiple matrices and scaffolds to best meet the surgical needs for patients and provide highly personalized care. These advances have facilitated tissue revascularization and repair to address conditions ranging from scar revisions to hernia to neural access repair.

While we have made major progress in the field of tissue technologies, there is more we can do in this area. There are ample opportunities to address other injuries expanding on this practiced approach to healing the body. Moreover, in the next stage of innovation for reconstructive medicine, we should be incorporating advanced technology into the wound assessment process. As an example, we could use a platform that would determine the best method for treating complex wounds based on a patient’s scenario, while capturing data to inform other procedures. The future of regenerative medicine involves continuing to build on the foundational matrix technology as a bridge to treating a wide array of conditions, coupled with the formalized use of data to optimize personalized care.