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Drum Dermatome — Padgett-Hood

The drum dermatome — the original Padgett-Hood design (1930s) — is a rotating cylindrical dermatome that was the first reliable mechanical method of producing uniform-thickness skin grafts. The device clamps the donor skin against a metal drum, and a blade slices the graft off the drum's rotation surface.

Design​

  • Metal cylindrical drum rotated by hand crank
  • Glue or double-sided adhesive holds the donor skin to the drum surface
  • Oscillating blade cuts the skin off the drum in a continuous sheet
  • Gap adjustment between drum and blade controls graft thickness

Historical Importance​

Earl Padgett and his engineer George Hood patented the drum dermatome in 1939. It was the first dermatome to produce reliably uniform grafts — a transformational advance over the Humby's cheese-slicer technique for large-area STSG harvest. The drum dermatome enabled modern burn care and the widespread use of skin grafting in reconstructive surgery.

Contemporary Use​

Largely superseded by powered handheld dermatomes (Zimmer, Padgett electric) for:

  • Simpler setup
  • No glue / adhesive required
  • Easier on irregular surfaces
  • Faster turnover

Drum dermatomes persist in:

  • Specific surgeon preferences at centers with the skill and equipment
  • Large sheet-graft harvests where very long continuous grafts are desired
  • Historical reference — the device remains on tray in some centers as a backup
  • Reese drum dermatome — a derivative design with modifications
  • Brown dermatome — another drum variant

See also: Padgett Dermatome (the modern electric descendant), Zimmer Air Dermatome.