Skin Graft Knives

Types of skin graft knives

Humby and its derivatives

The Humby knife (Graham Humby, revised 1936 design) has a roller bar with a screw at each side. The Braithwaite knife (1955) is a Humby modification whose blade is changed without dismantling; the Watson knife (1960) is a Braithwaite derivative with a fixed smooth roller and rigid adjustment.

Long adjustable knives

The Cobbett knife has an adjustable guard; the Schink knife is a long adjustable dermatome.

Miniature graft knife

The Silver skin graft knife takes a razor-type blade for small grafts of the face, nose and ears.

Blades and mesher

Single-use sterile skin grafting blades fit Humby, Watson and Braithwaite-type handles. The skin graft mesher feeds the graft on a grooved carrier plate through a cutting roller; the carrier sets the expansion, and meshing lets fluid drain.

How to choose a skin graft knife

• Graft size. Full-size knives for large donor areas; the Silver knife for small facial grafts.
• Thickness setting. Roller-bar knives set thickness with side screws (Humby) or a rigid adjustment (Watson, Braithwaite); the Cobbett uses a guard.
• Blade change. Braithwaite and Watson handles take a new blade without dismantling.
• Meshing. Add the mesher when the graft has to be expanded.

What are skin graft knives used for?

Harvesting split-thickness skin grafts in burn care and reconstructive plastic surgery, small facial grafts, and meshing grafts for expansion.

How BusinessMed skin graft knives are made

Knife handles in German stainless steel with a satin, non-reflective finish, reusable and autoclavable, 5-year warranty. The grafting blades are sterile and single-use; the mesher's materials are named on its page.