Spectral analysis of blood perfusion in the free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and in normal skin

Abstract

To find the properties in the oscillatory components of the cutaneous blood flow on the successful free flap, a wavelet transform was applied to the laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) signals which were measured simultaneously on the surfaces of the free latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and on the adjacent intact skin of the healthy limb, of 18 patients. The frequency interval from 0.0095 to 1.6 Hz was examined and was divided into five subintervals (I: 0.0095–0.021 Hz; II: 0.021–0.052 Hz; III: 0.052–0.145 Hz; IV: 0.145–0.6 Hz and V: 0.6–1.6 Hz) corresponding to endothelial metabolic, neurogenic, myogenic, respiratory and cardiac origins. The average amplitude and total power in the frequency range 0.0095–1.6 Hz as well as within subintervals I, II, IV and V were significantly lower for signals measured on the free flap than those obtained in the healthy limb. However in interval III, they were significantly higher. The normalized spectral amplitude and power in the free flap were significantly lower in only two intervals, I and II, yet in interval III they were significantly higher; no statistical significance was observed in intervals IV and V. The distinctive finding made in this study, aside from the decrease of endothelial metabolic processes and sympathetic control, was the significant increase of myogenic activity in the free flap. It is hoped that this work will contribute towards knowledge on blood circulation in free flaps and make the monitoring by LDF more reliable.