The Study of Island Flap Vascularity Response to Nerve Regeneration using Laser Doppler.

Kim, Jun Sik; Kim, Nam Gyun; Park, Seong Geun

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2001;28(4):403-407.
Published online July 1, 2001.

The Study of Island Flap Vascularity Response to Nerve Regeneration using Laser Doppler.

Jun Sik Kim, Nam Gyun Kim, Seong Geun Park

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Chinju, Korea.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of nerve regeneration to island flap vascularity after crushing injury to pedicle nerve. A total of 40 adult male Sprague Dawley rats (200-250 gm) were used and divided into 4 groups (n = 10). Two inferior epigastric island flaps were elevated including panniculus carnosus on each rat: one retained innervation (control); the other was denervation by crushing injury to superficial epigastric nerve. After the flap elevation, vascularity of the flap was checked by laser doppler at superficial epigastric artery. Group 1 was vascularity of the flap after 1 day, group 2 after 3days, group 3 after 5 days, group 4 after 7 days. Under light and electron microscope, histologic changes were compared. In conclusion, our experimental study proved that vascularity of the epigastric island flap was slowly decreased with histologic findings of nerve regeneration. Denervated flap had more vascularity than other groups by 7 days. This study appears to be a valid one which treatment and post operative care of very small island flap such as distal finger tip amputation (Zone I level).

Keywords: Vascularity of flap; Nerve regeneration; Laser doppler