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Experimental microsurgical vein grafts: Quantitative temporal analysis of progressive media fibroplasia
Author(s) -
McDonald James P.,
Shaffer John W.,
Carter John R.,
Field Greg
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.1920140312
Subject(s) - medicine , hyperplasia , intimal hyperplasia , vein , artery , anatomy , coronal plane , smooth muscle , thickening , surgery , pathology , chemistry , polymer science
Abstract The sequential histopathologic changes in microvenous grafts placed in a microarterial system were studied. In 48 Sprague Dawley rats, a 1 cm segment of epigastric vein was interposed into a defect created in the femoral artery. Grafts were explored at 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks. After an initial smooth muscle hyperplasia, a progressive fibroplasia of the media was observed. Only small focal areas of intimal hyperplasia were seen. The width of the media was measured with an eyepiece micrometer. A statistically significant ( P < 0.01) increase in width from 17 μm at 1 week to 462 μm at 12 weeks was noted. Although this process has been described before, this is the first quantitative assessment. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss Inc.