title: The effect of occlusion on the survival of an isolated dorsal skin flap in the rat.
abstract: Previous studies have documented that maintenance of a moist environment can increase flap survival in the rat model. However, the distal aspect of the dorsal rat flap can survive as a graft, a fact that masks the behavior of this tissue as a flap, thereby making previous studies difficult to interpret. Using a dorsal rat flap model designed to control for the skin graft variable, the effect of occlusive dressings on flap survival was determined. In two groups of rats (n = 10), treatment with a semipermeable occlusive dressing was compared with no treatment. In both groups, 2 x 7-cm flaps based caudally were raised on the dorsum of each rat and the wound closed beneath the flap to prevent take of the flap as a graft. No significant difference in surviving flap surface area was noted (p greater than 0.2). We conclude that, although a moist environment may enhance wound healing, it will not improve the survival of an ischemic flap.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Grand Rapids Area Medical Education Center, MI.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Brooksher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology