George D. Winter
Encyclopedia
Dr. George D. Winter was the British-born pioneer of moist wound
healing. In 1962, while working at the Department of Biomechanics and Surgical Materials at the University of London
, Winter published his landmark Nature
paper Formation of the scab and the rate of epithelisation of superficial wounds in the skin of the young domestic pig (Nature 193:293 1962) where he demonstrated that, contrary to the conventional wisdom that wounds should be allowed to dry out and form scabs to promote healing, wounds instead healed faster if kept moist. Winter formed multiple partial thickness wounds on the backs of pigs, half left open to the air and half covered with a polymer
film to keep them hydrated. The latter wounds healed faster, as measured by the migration of new epithelium
on the wound bed. This work began the evolution of modern wound dressings that promote moist wound healing.
George D. Winter was the first president of the European Society for Biomaterials
and has an annual award named after him.
Wound
A wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
healing. In 1962, while working at the Department of Biomechanics and Surgical Materials at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Winter published his landmark Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
paper Formation of the scab and the rate of epithelisation of superficial wounds in the skin of the young domestic pig (Nature 193:293 1962) where he demonstrated that, contrary to the conventional wisdom that wounds should be allowed to dry out and form scabs to promote healing, wounds instead healed faster if kept moist. Winter formed multiple partial thickness wounds on the backs of pigs, half left open to the air and half covered with a polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
film to keep them hydrated. The latter wounds healed faster, as measured by the migration of new epithelium
Epithelium
Epithelium is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. Epithelial tissues line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body, and also form many glands. Functions of epithelial cells include secretion, selective...
on the wound bed. This work began the evolution of modern wound dressings that promote moist wound healing.
George D. Winter was the first president of the European Society for Biomaterials
European Society for Biomaterials
The European Society for Biomaterials is a non-profit organisation that encourages research and spread of information regarding research and uses of biomaterials. Founded in 1976. It has approximately 600 members in 27 countries...
and has an annual award named after him.