title: Vascularized autogenous canine coccygeal bone transfer.
abstract: Based on cadaver studies in dogs, the 8th, 9th, or 10th canine coccygeal vertebra with overlying skin was designed for free vascularized bone transfer. In six dogs the coccygeal osteocutaneous flap was transferred to fill a defect of the tibia, anastomosing the median caudal artery and one of the two caudal veins to the tibial vessels. The overlying skin provided a reliable monitoring system for the transferred tissue. The behavior of the vascularized coccygeal vertebrae was then evaluated with radiographic and histologic examination and compared with control vertebrae transferred without reconnection of the blood vessels. The results revealed that the canine coccygeal bone graft is a reliable vascularized osteocutaneous flap, which can be applied either in clinical veterinary surgery or in orthopedic microsurgical research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, School of Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology; D002146:Bony Callus / Q000473:pathology; D003050:Coccyx / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000601:surgery; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods; D013977:Tibia / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014654:Vascular Patency