THE EFFECT OF GRAFT-BED IRRADIATION ON THE HEALING OF RAT SKIN-GRAFTS

This study explores the possible side effects on healing skin grafts o f irradiation, commonly used intraoperatively following surgical tumor removal. The experimental model involved the delivery of a single 10- Gy dose of electron radiation to the recipient bed of a skin wound, fo llowed by attachment of a full thickness rat skin autograft. Skin graf t repair was assessed by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and t ransmission electron microscopy over a 3-week period for grafted and g rafted-irradiated groups. Graft-bed irradiation reduced fibrinogen, fi brin, and fibronectin deposition in the wound. It also produced brief changes in the extent of both re-epithelialization and granulation tis sue formation, and reduced the diameter of collagen fibrils in the gra nulation tissue. Despite these changes, the results suggest that graft -bed irradiation only delays the healing process, producing no serious clinical complications at the time points studied.