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ScarringNCT06287866

Pinch Grafting Versus Second Intention Wound Healing for Mohs Micrographic Surgery Defects on the Scalp

A study testing Pinch Graft in people with Scarring, run by University of California, Davis at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Oftentimes, following surgery on the scalp, wounds are left to heal by themselves. This is called "second intention." Open wounds left to heal on the scalp often take 8 weeks or more to completely heal. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Scarring
What is being tested?
Pinch Graft
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
5 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
2 Apr 2024to 24 Jul 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Able to give informed consent themselves
  • Patient scheduled for cutaneous surgical procedure on the scalp with predicted second intention closure
  • Willing to return for follow up visit
  • Active user of MyChart
  • Willing to send weekly messages until wound is healed

Who cannot join

  • Incarceration
  • Under 18 years of age
  • Pregnant women
  • Unable to understand written and oral English
  • Scalp wounds with planned primary repair reconstruction
  • Surgical defects with bone exposure
  • No MyChart access or use

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • University of California, Davis - Dermatology Department

    Sacramento, California, 95816

Other trials in United States

About this study

Oftentimes, following surgery on the scalp, wounds are left to heal by themselves. This is called "second intention." Open wounds left to heal on the scalp often take 8 weeks or more to completely heal. The investigators are investigating how second intention closure compares to another established reconstruction technique, called "pinch graft." In the pinch graft technique, a dermatological surgeon numbs and then shaves off a thin piece of skin (usually from the groin area) and places it in the wound bed it (also known as "grafting"), to encourage growth of new healthy skin. This study will compare time-to-healing in the second intention method versus the pinch graft method.

Read the detailed description

Pinch graft methodology was first developed in 1976 as a treatment to accelerate healing of lower leg ulcerations, particularly venous or gravitational ulcerations (1, 2). It was later adapted as a tool to hasten healing in surgical wounds, such as surgical closure of diabetic foot wounds (3). It has also been used in the healing of patients with wounds related to dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (4). More recently, pinch grafts have been investigated as a reconstruction option for Mohs micrographic surgery defects (5). In this study, patients with below the knee Mohs surgical defects were randomized to receive either PG reconstruction or SIH reconstruction. Patients with PG reconstruction healed 20 days sooner (i.e., faster time to reepithelialization) than those who underwent SIH. Complication rates, including infection and reported pain, were also lower in the PG cohort compared to the SIH cohort. SIH is often recommended as a reconstruction technique for surgical wounds without adjacent skin laxity to support primary closure, such as the anterior lower extremity and scalp. There is no study to date examining the use of pinch grafts in scalp wounds. In our study, the investigators explore whether PG is a viable and useful reconstruction method for wounds on the scalp that otherwise would be left to close via SIH. Specifically, in our study, the investigators examine the comparative time to healing and complication rates between PG and SIH in Mohs surgical defects of the scalp.

Conditions
Scarring
Being tested
Pinch Graft
Keywords
Pinch graft
Medical subject headings
Cicatrix

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Pinch GraftProcedure or surgery

    In the pinch graft technique, the investigators will numb and then shave off a thin piece of skin and place it in the wound bed.

Study groups in NCT06287866
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Second Intention Wound HealingNo interventionNot described
Pinch GraftingExperimentalNot described
Receives: Procedure: Pinch Graft

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Time to re-epithelialization

    Participants will submit weekly photos to blinded reviewers to assess for re-epithelization.

    Measured: 1-8 weeks

Secondary outcomes (2)

  1. Observer Scar Assessment as measured by Patient Observer Scar Assessment Score (POSAS)

    The primary endpoint will be the score of two blinded reviewers independently using the POSAS assessment. The observer scale of the POSAS consists of six items (vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability, and surface area). All items are scored on a scale ranging from 1 ("like normal skin") to 10 ("worst scar imaginable"). The sum of the six items results in a total score of the POSAS observer scale. Furthermore, an overall opinion is scored on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. All parameters should preferably be compared to normal skin on a comparable anatomic location.

    Measured: 3 months

  2. Patient Scar Assessment as measured by Patient Observer Scar Assessment Score (POSAS)

    This is the patient portion of the POSAS assessment, which will be independently recorded. The patient scale of the POSAS consists of six items (pain, itch, thickness, color, stiffness, and irregularity). All items are scored on a scale ranging from 1 ("as normal skin") to 10 ("yes, very different"). The sum of the six items results in a total score of the POSAS patient scale. Furthermore, an overall opinion is scored on a scale ranging from 1 to 10.

    Measured: 3 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Mar 2024
  2. Study start2 Apr 2024
  3. Primary completion24 Jul 2026
  4. Study completion24 Jul 2026

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
5 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06287866
Sponsor's protocol ID
2099470
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
23 Feb 2024
Last updated
14 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Burns DA, Sarkany I. Management of stasis ulcers by pinch graft. Br J Dermatol. 1976 Jul;95 Suppl 14:82. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1976.tb07931.x. No abstract available.

    PubMed 776204

  • Millard LG, Roberts MM, Gatecliffe M. Chronic leg ulcers treated by the pinch graft method. Br J Dermatol. 1977 Sep;97(3):289-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1977.tb15185.x.

    PubMed 336073

  • Ramanujam CL, Zgonis T. Pinch graft harvesting technique for surgical closure of the diabetic foot. Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2012 Oct;29(4):585-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cpm.2012.07.004. Epub 2012 Aug 30.

    PubMed 23044064

  • Claude O, Binder JP, Bustamante K, Blanchet-Bardon C, Andrivon F, Revol M, Servant JM. [Role of cutaneous pinch grafts in the healing of patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa wounds: report of four cases]. Ann Chir Plast Esthet. 2005 Jun;50(3):189-96. doi: 10.1016/j.anplas.2004.11.010. Epub 2004 Dec 18. French.

    PubMed 15963838

  • Willenbrink TJ, Brodland DG. Pinch Grafts Versus Second Intention Wound Healing for Mohs Micrographic Surgery Defects Below the Knee: A Prospective Randomized Trial. Dermatol Surg. 2024 Nov 1;50(11):1010-1016. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000004272. Epub 2024 Aug 1.

    PubMed 39088685

  • Joo J, Custis T, Armstrong AW, King TH, Omlin K, Kappel ST, Eisen DB. Purse-string suture vs second intention healing: results of a randomized, blind clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2015 Mar;151(3):265-70. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.2313.

    PubMed 25372450

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Pinch Graft in people with Scarring, run by University of California, Davis at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Time to re-epithelialization (time frame: 1-8 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06287866, which also lists 6 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Sep 2026.

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