The rat groin flap as an experimental model in microsurgery.
The value of the rat groin flap in microsurgical experiments is discussed. It provides the practising microsurgeon, whatever his specialty, the opportunity to work on vessels ranging from 0.4 mm to 2.0 mm in diameter as well as on small nerves. The single, long, microvascular pedicle of this flap enables numerous experimental procedures to be performed. Most important of all, long term patency of the vessels after anastomosis can be assessed by observing changes in the flap. Rat groin flaps have been used in microsurgery for evaluating techniques of end-to-end and end-to-side anastomoses, testing microvascular auto-and allografts, studying the delay phenomenon in flap surgery, evaluating and comparing the effects of various vasodilator drugs on microvessels and for assessing the effects of avulsion and tension forces on blood vessels and nerves. These aspects are described and discussed.
D000818:Animals; D008866:Microsurgery; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013524:Surgical Flaps