Abstract 11.35 MICROSURGICAL MODELS FOR VASCULARIZED COMPOSITE ALLOTRANSPLANTS IN RATS

Abstract

CONTENT: The aim of this work was to familiarize with some experimental microsurgical animal models used in the research field of Vascularized Composite Allotransplants (VCAs). All these animal models are vascularized allotransplants from Brown Norway to Lewis rats. A total 125 procedures were done: orthotopic (n = 60) and heterotopic (n = 5) hind limb transplantation, femur transplantation (n = 5), limb and contralateral femur transplantation (n = 5), knee transplantation (n = 5), heterotopic calf transplantation (n = 5), tail transplantation (n = 5), sternum transplantation (n = 5), hemiface transplantation (n=5), scalp transplantation (n = 5), ear transplantation (n = 5), penis transplantation (n = 5), heterotopic mandible transplantation (n = 5), toe to thumb transplantation (n = 5). All animals received drug therapy (FK506, MMF and Prednisone) for 8 weeks, then treatment was ceased entirely. The average success rate of transplantation was 95,2%. This study demonstrated that these experimental models could be a reliable to study the vascularized composite allotransplants.