Figure 9.

PEM/PVA microfilm (with 16.8 ± 0.5 μg cm⁻² of silver) promotes epithelialization similar to the untreated wound in excisional splinted wounds in mice, as determined by histopathology. Figures (a, b) show representative H&E-stained sections of wounds postoperative days 7 and 14, respectively, in wounds modified with silver/PEMs. Original wound edge (arrow), migrating epithelial tongue (arrow head), granulation tissue (G), and wound matrix (W) are marked. (c) Percentage of original wound size on post-operative days 7 and 14 in wounds that did not receive PEMs, and wounds that were modified with PEMs containing no silver or PEMs containing silver. Each data point presents mean ± SEM of relative wound size. The sample size (n) for day 7 for the groups without PEMs, with PEM/PVA without Ag, and with PEM/PVA with Ag, were n = 4, 9, and 7, respectively. For day 14, n = 3 for each group.