title: An axial-pattern skin flap in the rat.
abstract: An axial-pattern rat skin flap based on the caudal femoral artery is described with orthotopic and heterotopic island flap transfers. Free-tissue transfers could also be carried out based on the common femoral artery. Since the pedicle is very small, instead of selective dye injection, a nonselective dye injection was utilized, elevating a very large island skin flap based on the caudal femoral artery. This flap model can provide an alternative opportunity to study the physiology of skin flaps and for training in the basic principles of plastic surgery, including microsurgical practice, with a more challenging model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Yenidunya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukagoshi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosaka
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005263:Femoral Artery; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*