In vivo microscopy of a rat abdominal skin flap: A new model

Abstract

This study describes a rat abdominal skin flap model of in vivo microscopy which provides a reliable, easy to perform system in which to examine the microcirculation of flaps. The island flap, which is based on the superficial inferior epigastric vessels caudally, and drained proximally by the lateral thoracic vein, can be mounted directly on a Perspex microscope stage. In vivo microscopy of the subdermal plexus of the flap allows detailed study of blood flow pattern, capillary flow, microvessel diameter, and margination of leucocytes, in a skin flap with versatile blood supply and innervation.

The Abdominal Adipofascial Flap

“…Whan et al used anterior abdominal skin of rat to observe the subdermal plexus in vivo under microscope magnification by transillumination and Indian ink injection to facilitate the observations. 11 There is no published data available on direct examination of the peripheral fat tissue isolated on neurovascular pedicle in animal model. In this paper, we are introducing an adipofascial flap model in rat, for direct in vivo observation and recordings of microcirculatory hemodynamics of isolated peripheral fat tissue.…”