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Microvascular transplant of the gastrocnemius muscle in rats
Author(s) -
Tonken Heidi P.,
Zhang Feng,
Sudekum Anthony E.,
Siko Peter P.,
Newlin Leonard,
Partington Marshall T.,
Buncke Harry J.,
Lineaweaver William C.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/micr.1920140207
Subject(s) - gastrocnemius muscle , medicine , transplantation , anatomy , caliber , surgery , skeletal muscle , materials science , metallurgy
The rat gastrocnemius muscle can serve as a vascularized, innervated muscle transplant model. To establish the anatomic and technical details of this model, we performed ten gastrocnemius transplants and collected data on muscle weight, dimension, and vessel caliber from each muscle. The muscle, consisting of medial and lateral heads, is supplied by pairs of sural vessels averaging 0.2 mm in diameter. These vessels, however, can be taken in continuity with the femoral vessels (averaging 1.0–1.6 mm in diameter), which are used for transplantation. The muscles weighed an average of 2.8 g, and the average pedicle length was 24 mm. Eight of ten transplanted muscles were viable with intact circulation at 72 hr. The gastrocnemius transplant was technically reliable, and the muscle bulk and contour could allow biochemical and functional studies. Donor site morbidity limits this model to transplantation Studies. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss Inc.