THE MEDIAL SAPHENOUS FASCIOCUTANEOUS FREE-FLAP IN DOGS

The purpose of this study was to identify the angiosome of the medial saphenous artery and vein and to evaluate the use of this cutaneous an giosome as a free skin nap in the dog. In phase 1 of this study, selec tive angiography of the medial saphenous artery performed in six canin e cadavers showed that the skin covering the entire medial femorotibia l area, the distal half of the caudal head of the sartorius muscle, an d the gracilis muscle were perfused by the medial saphenous artery. In phase 2, a medial saphenous fasciocutaneous island flap was raised an d sutured back to the skin edges of the donor wound in three dogs. One hundred percent survival of all of the flaps occurred. In phase 3, a medial saphenous fasciocutaneous microvascular free flap was transferr ed to a wound that was created over the dorsal metacarpal (n = 3) or m etatarsal region (n = 3). The mean length +/- SD of the medial sapheno us vascular pedicle was 80 +/- 13 mm (n = 5); the mean diameter +/- SD of the medial saphenous artery was 2.8 +/- 0.2 mm (n = 5) and the mea n diameter +/- SD of the medial saphenous vein was 4.2 +/- 0.2 mm (n = 5). One hundred percent of all flaps survived (n = 6). Selective angi ography of the distal cranial tibial artery (metatarsal wounds, n = 3) and the median artery (metacarpal wound, n = 3) was performed 3 weeks after surgery. All of the vascular anastomoses were patent and neovas cularization of the wound beds was present. This free nap was found to be acceptable for cosmetic reconstruction of wounds located on the di stal extremity. (C) Copyright 1996 by The American College of Veterina ry Surgeons