title: The effect of tension on patency of rat femoral artery anastomoses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine experimentally the role of tension in the failure of microarterial anastomoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen microarterial anastomoses were performed in femoral arteries from adult Sprague-Dawley male rats after resecting 0, 1, 2, or 3 mm. The percentage of vessel excised was calculated. The vessel was then examined in approximately 1 week for patency. Next, 5 femoral arteries were excised and length-tension curves generated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All vessels were patent in which less than 20% of the length was resected. Clinically, only vessels under extreme tension failed. Length-tension curves suggested 2 zones of vessel extensibility with a breakpoint between them. Extension of the vessel beyond this breakpoint required extreme tension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate tension at a microarterial anastomosis does not lead to anastomotic failure. Failure occurs after the elastic reserve of the vessel is exceeded.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Department of Otolaryngology, 301 University Blvd, Route 0521, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Decherd
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Calhoun
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D004548:Elasticity; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000502:physiology*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods