BACKGROUND Sensory recovery of skin flaps is generally poor unless they are elevated as an innervated flap. The aim of this study was to elucidate if Schwann cell (SC)-like cells differentiated from adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) could improve the cutaneous nerve regeneration in skin flaps. METHODS Microvascular island groin flaps were elevated bilaterally in 32 Lewis rats. On the right fl...

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether contour abnormalities of the abdomen after breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps are related to the harvest of the rectus abdominis muscle. Abdominal contour was analyzed in 155 women who had breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps; 108 women had free transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flaps, 37 had pedicled TRAM flaps, an...

Burns to the hand that are complicated by exposure of bone, joint or tendon cannot be closed with conventional skin grafts and require flap procedures to prevent further damage. Local or regional flaps may be unavailable if electrical or blast trauma produces a large zone of injury, or when forearm burn injury extends beyond fascia. Free tissue transfer may not be tolerated by critically ill bu...

BACKGROUND Leeches are a well-recognized treatment for congested tissue. This study reviewed the efficacy of leech therapy for salvage of venous congested flaps and congested replanted or revascularized hand digits over a 2-year period. METHODS All patients treated with leeches between 1 Oct 2010 and 30 Sep 2012 (two years) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK were included in the stud...

BACKGROUND Early identification of failing free flaps may allow for potential intervention and flap salvage. The predictive ability of flap temperature monitoring has been previously questioned. The present study investigated the ability of an infrared surface temperature monitoring device to detect trends in flap temperature and correlation with anastomotic thrombosis and flap failure. METHO...

In the 1990s, skin island flaps supplied by the vascular axis of sensitive superficial nerves, like the sural and saphenous nerves, were introduced. Flaps supplied by the superficial peroneal nerve accessory artery (SPNAA), however, are still not commonly used. The aim of this study is to understand the anatomical structure of the SPNAA and its perforators in the anterior intermuscular septum, ...

The fingertip skin defect is a common hand injury often accompanied by tendon or bone exposure, and is normally treated with flaps. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional sensory recovery of random-pattern abdominal skin flap in the repair of fingertip cutaneous deficiency. A total of 23 patients, aged between 18 and 50 years (mean age, 31 years) with fingertip cutaneous deficienc...

Surgical flaps are frequently affected by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) are closely associated with myocardial I/R injury. This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of applying SDF-1α to counteract CaSR activation-mediated I/R injury in ischemic free flaps. Free flaps that underwent ischemia for 3 h were...

The deep venous system of the upper and lower extremities was injected with a lead oxide mixture in 2 fresh human cadavers, dissected, radiographed and the sites of the venous valves located. These studies confirmed that the macrovenous connections between the venae comitantes of the distributing arteries were insufficient in number to bypass the venous valves in conventional, distally based re...

BACKGROUND The scapula osteocutaneous free flap is frequently used to reconstruct complex head and neck defects given its tissue versatility. Because of minimal atherosclerotic changes in its vascular pedicle, this flap also may be used as a second choice when other osseous flaps are not available because of vascular disease at a preferred donor site. METHODS We performed a retrospective char...