Open AccessIschemia and Wound Healing in a Cutaneous Flap Murine Model
Author(s) -
Ludlow David,
Lian Timothy S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599812451438a17
Subject(s) - medicine , ischemia , wound healing , blood flow , skin flap , necrosis , surgery , pathology
Objective 1) To establish a murine model to investigate cutaneous flap wound healing following ischemia reperfusion injury. 2) To characterize wound healing in a murine model with respect to tensile strength, blood flow, and tissue survival following varying periods of ischemia in a cutaneous flap. Method Twenty‐eight cutaneous flaps based on the inferior epigastric artery in C57BL/6J/CD11 mice were elevated. Ischemia up to 270 minutes was produced. Following ischemia, skin flaps were inserted then monitored for flap necrosis daily for 2 weeks using digital imaging. Wound tensile strength and blood flow were evaluated on day 14. Results Peak necrosis for flaps with ischemia times >210 minutes occurred on postoperative day 5 (necrosis M = 57%, CI: 52, 64%). Skin tensile strengths and blood flow for ischemic times >210 minutes were significantly less than tensile strengths for ischemic times <210 minutes. Conclusion The described cutaneous flap murine model establishes basic wound healing characteristics following ischemic injury that may be useful in further study of novel interventions that enhance wound healing and cutaneous flap survival ultimately resulting in improved patient outcomes.