The Evidence Base for the Acellular Dermal Matrix AlloDerm: A Systematic Review
by Jansen, Leigh A.; De Caigny, Pascaline; Guay, Nicolas A.; Lineaweaver, William C.; Shokrollahi, Kayvan via Annals of Plastic Surgery - Current Issue
Background: Many decellularized dermal matrices are available with various applications, all with slight differences. AlloDerm appears to have the greatest presence in the literature. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the experience with AlloDerm, stratified by clinical indication. Methods: A literature search was performed across Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Collaboration using the search terms “AlloDerm” and “acellular dermal matrix.” Two independent authors applied a priori inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant articles were categorized by application, type of study, and evidence level. Results: A total of 753 articles met the initial inclusion criteria, and 311 remained after discarding irrelevant articles: skin (25), head and neck (82), breast (34), trunk (66), pelvis (10), extremities (8), and basic science (86). Non–basic science study designs included 32 analytic articles (3 randomized controlled trials and 29 observational studies including 11 cohort studies, 1 cross-sectional study, and 17 case-controlled studies), 192 descriptive articles (106 case series, 51 case reports, 2 cross-sectional studies, and 33 qualitative studies), and 1 systematic review. More than 85% of articles had a level of evidence of 4 or 5. Articles showed outcomes that were 70% positive, 23% neutral, and 7% negative. Conclusions: AlloDerm has many clinical uses with promising results. Most evidence lies in descriptive and nonrandomized studies, but randomized trials are emerging. Cost and logistics of large trials with these products make large-scale trials challenging but necessary. Emphasis needs to shift to randomized controlled trials focusing on areas where most clinical benefit can be realized.