Full-thickness skin trauma on the ventral side of rabbit ears can produce pathological changes similar to human hypertrophic scars, and the response of the hyperplastic tissue to treatment is consistent with that of human hypertrophic scars. This study provides a new approach for establishing animal models of pathological scars and has been applied in scar research. Pathological scars include two types: keloids and hypertrophic scars. The main clinical difference is that keloids grow beyond the original wound boundary in a tumor-like manner, whereas hypertrophic scars do not break through the original wound margin. Although their clinical manifestations differ, both are excessive fibroproliferative disorders with potentially similar exact pathogenesis. Therefore, in recent years, exploring therapeutic methods for keloids using the rabbit ear hypertrophic scar animal model has become a research hotspot.

Japanese white rabbits or New Zealand white rabbits (either gender, weighing 2–3 kg)

Modeling method: Press the skin with a cardboard to form an impression and make a circular incision. Remove a small part of the unincised skin, peel off the skin to expose the cartilage, and remove the perichondrium. The rabbit ear hypertrophic scar model was successfully established after 4 weeks.

Evaluation indicators: gross observation, HE staining, Masson staining

Gross observation of the ears

HE staining of skin tissue

Masson staining of skin tissue