title: Observations on experimental flow-through venous flaps.
abstract: The aim of this work was to compare the survival of an arteriovenous island flap with the survival of an island flap with a flow-through venous supply. Our experimental studies were performed on 95 Wistar rats randomised into six groups: Group 1: Indian ink injection of flow-through venous flaps with capillary network; Group 2: control group deprived of vascularisation; Group 3: control group with arteriovenous supply; Group 4: flow-through venous flaps of group 1; Group 5: epigastric flow-through venous flaps with a main venous trunk; Group 6: histological examination of flow-through venous flaps. The survival of flaps was monitored by direct examination, histological examination, capillaroscopy, and laser Doppler. Three out of 50 flow-through venous flaps survived. There was a statistically significant difference in the delay of clinical necrosis between the composite non vascularised free grafts (2.8 +/- 1.2 days) and the flow-through venous flaps (4.1 +/- 1.3 to 4.9 +/- 1.1 days depending on the type of flap). A 20% decreased venous blood flow was observed in the flow-through venous flaps.
authors.affiliation: Département de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Creteil, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lenoble
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foucher
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Voisin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maurel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goutallier
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000098:blood supply; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000502:physiology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000502:physiology*; D014680:Veins / Q000502:physiology