Non Ablative Fractional Laser Treatment of Burn Scars

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence appears for non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL) to remodel mature burn scars. OBJECTIVES: To investigate long-term clinical and histological appearance of mature burn scars after NAFL-treatment. HYPOTHESIS: That NAFL can modulate mature burn scars with subsequently improved cosmetic and functional appearance. METHODS: Study patients with burn scars at trunk or extremities. Side-by-side test areas are randomized to three monthly 1,540 nm NAFL-treatments or control, followed by blinded evaluations at 1, 3, and 6 months using mPOSAS (modified Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale; 1 = normal skin, 10 = worst imaginable scar).