title: Effects of microarterial anastomosis torsion on survival of oblique groin flap in rats.
abstract: A microanastomosis might tolerate a torsion up to 360°, but the effects of arterial microanastomosis torsion on the survival of the flap it supplies are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequences of microarterial anastomosis torsion on the groin flap in rats. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups. An oblique groin flap was harvested as an island flap and a patch-to-side arterial anastomosis was performed with torsion angles of 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°, and 360°. Six of eight flaps in Group I (0° torsion), six of eight flaps in Group II (90°), three of eight flaps in Group III (180°), and none of the flaps in Groups IV and V (270° and 360°) were found to be viable after 1 week. The patency and flap survival rates observed in Groups II, III, IV, and V were compared with those in Group I using Fisher's exact test. The patency rates and flap survival rates in Groups IV and V were significantly lower compared with those in Group I. Our data show that skin flaps can survive even if their arterial pedicle is anastomosed with a torsion of up to 180°.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güven
authors.forename: Hasan Utkan
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Samet Vasfi
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kuvat
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Berkoz
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Topalan
mesh_terms: D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D054159:Torsion, Mechanical; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000502:physiology