The use of skin grafts in small animal reconstructive surgery

Abstract

Skin grafting involves harvesting of a free segment of skin from a donor site and transplanting it to a distant recipient site, usually one outside the reach of skin flaps. It is most commonly used to cover large defects of the distal limb, where a limited amount of local skin is available for reconstruction. Less commonly it may be used to cover large defects on the trunk, for example caused by burns. Grafts are completely detached from any blood supply following harvesting, and must re-establish vascular connections with the recipient site in order to survive. Understanding the process of engraftment or graft ‘take’ is essential to minimise the risk of postoperative complications. This article will review the general principles of skin grafting, the most commonly performed techniques, and the steps required to minimise complications.

Thermal Imaging as a Method to Indirectly Assess Peripheral Vascular Integrity and Tissue Viability in Veterinary Medicine: Animal Models and Clinical Applications

“…Grafts need a well-vascularized bed wound to survive [ 67 ]. This means that the free segment of skin needs to reestablish a vascular supply to consider it a successful grafting procedure [ 68 ]. Grafts are put on a well-vascularized bed.…”

“…In the case of veterinary medicine, currently, skin grafting is performed in small animals, particularly when a large defect on a distal limb is present [ 68 ]. In murine animal models, thermography was used to evaluate the usefulness of therapeutic ultrasound on skin grafts.…”