[Experimental research of the relationship between the safety of expanded flap and expansion volume].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between the survival rate of expanded flap and expansion volume.


METHODS
The minipigs were used and divided into 5 groups according to different expansion volume of the tissue expanders: injection to full content, 50% over content, 100% over content, 0% content and normal control. In each animal, 4 expanders (100 ml) were designed to be implanted at the bilateral side of back. Normal skin control was also designed at the back. The skin histologic change and flap survival rate were detected and analyzed when the expansion volume changed.


RESULTS
The flap survival rate increased along with the increase of expansion volume. While the survival rate decreased when the expansion volume was exceeded to 100% over content.


CONCLUSIONS
In soft tissue and skin expansion, the flap survival rate and the flap size increased as the expansion is over the standard volume, while over-expansion to 100% over content may cause decreased survival rate of expanded flap.
Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Peking Union Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100032, China.
Wei-Wei
WW
Li
Zhi-Fei
ZF
Liu
Xiao-Jun
XJ
Wang
Lin
L
Zhu
Ang
A
Zeng
Rui
R
Feng
D000818:Animals; D001415:Back; D006085:Graft Survival; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature; D015626:Tissue Expansion; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices