Nerocutneous vessels enlarges the survival area of perforator flap: an experimental study

Abstract

Objective To study the effects of nerocutneous vessels on perforator flap blood supply and survival area. Methods Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The study of the vasculature and nerve disposition of rat dorsum was performed with 10 rats of one group. According to the study,a distal rectangle neurocutaneous flap based on deep circumflex iliac artery perforator, 10 cm long and 3 cm in the width, was elevated on the rest rats, and sutured back to the original situation. The axis of the experimental group's flap paralleles the posterior median line,while the control group flap's angulated about 30° with it. The blood flow of the flap was assessed by fluorescein angiography on the 1st and 7th day after surgery. The surviving rate and the capillary density of flap were assessed on the 7th day after surgery. Results The rat deep circumflex iliac perforator artery was a constant perforator artery, with an nutrition area about 4 cm× 3 cm. The dorsal cutaneous nerves run along the dorsomedian line, nourished by rich vessels. The blood perfusion 1st day after surgery was 42.85% in the experimental group, 37.94% in the control group(P ＞ 0.01 ).On the 7th day, it was 84.07% in the experimental group, 58.55% in the control group (P＜ 0.01). The mean survival rate of the experimental group was 83.93%, higher than control group's 59.95% (P＜0.01),and the density of the blood vessels was higher in experimental group than control group's. Conclusion The neurocutaneous vessels can improve the flap survival condition, which make the perforator flap bigger and safer. Key words: Nerocutaneous vessel; Surgical flap; Deep circumflex iliac artery; Perforator flap; Microsurgery