[libribook.com] Traumatic Scar Tissue Management 1st Edition

CHAPTER 6
Burns, mastectomies and other
traumatic scars
Someone who has experienced trauma has gifts to offer all of us – in their
depth, their knowledge of our universal vulnerability, and their experience
of the power of compassion.
Sharon Salzberg (2015)
Burns, mastectomies and other traumatic injuries can involve significant
penetration of the skin layers, sometimes penetrating deeper layers of tissue
down to bone. Extensive tissue damage due to trauma (planned or unplanned)
can compromise sensation, proprioception, circulation, lymphatic drainage,
thermoregulation and dermal excretory capacities (Fitch 2005).
As discussed in previous chapters, scar tissue can affect the body in a variety of
ways. Fibrotic scars and scars that are bound to the underlying tissues, organs or
skeletal structures can restrict movement and organ motility (Fitch 2005, Bove &
Chapelle 2012). In addition to physical disability and dysfunction, traumatic
scars can also result in a spectrum of psychosocial sequelae, which will be
covered in greater detail in Chapter 7.
The depth and extent of the scar strongly influence the consequent sequelae.
Extensive tissue damage requires additional recovery time and increases the
potential for complications, including excessive scarring and successive
surgeries (Kania 2012).
The aim of this chapter is to provide more in-depth understanding of the types of
pathophysiological scars and scars seen in conjunction with specific types of