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Why might cadaver skin or pigskin be used temporarily on a burn wound?

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Cross-section diagram of human skin showing burn depth by degree, with arrows indicating that first-degree burns affect only the epidermis, second-degree burns reach the dermis, third-degree burns extend into subcutaneous tissue, and fourth-degree burns penetrate to muscle. — burn This diagram shows how burn injuries are classified by severity. First-degree burns damage the outer skin, known as the epidermis. First-degree burns are the least severe form of burn injury. Second-degree burns damage the outer skin and some of the underlying skin, known as the dermis, which also includes some connective tissue. Third-degree burns damage all the layers of skin, including subcutaneous tissue. Fourth-degree burns, which are the most severe, destroy every layer of skin and also damage muscle, tendons, and bones.

In the treatment of severe burns, surgeons prioritize covering the wound as rapidly as possible to prevent infection and minimize fluid and heat loss. While the ideal treatment is an autograft—using the patient's own skin—there is often a discrepancy between the amount of healthy skin available for harvest and the total area of the burn.12

In such cases, cadaver skin (allografts) or pigskin (porcine xenografts) may be used as a temporary measure to cover debrided or excised areas. These materials serve as a vital stopgap to protect the wound while the patient awaits permanent coverage via autografting. Because the body eventually rejects these foreign tissues, they are not a permanent solution, but they are essential for managing extensive injuries where the patient's own donor sites are limited.12