MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD-FLOW WITH RADIOLABELED MICROSPHERES IN REFLECTEDMUCOGINGIVAL FLAPS IN CATS

To quantify and compare blood flow in maxillary mucogingival flaps, a total of 16 cats (32 mucogingival specimens) were divided into two gro ups. In group I the blood flow in attached or reflected maxillary tiss ues were measured. In Group II the effects on blood flow were measured in reflected tissues after the injection of the following solutions: (1) saline solution; (2) 2% lidocaine plain; (3) 2% lidocaine with 1:5 0,000 epinephrine; (4) no injection. After an injection of 153 Gadolin ium microspheres into the left ventricle of the heart, the tissues wer e harvested and placed in a gamma counter. Group I had a mean blood fl ow value of 34.4 ml/min/100 gm or tissue for the unreflected samples a nd 152.3 ml/min/100 gm of reflected tissue. The levels of blood flow i n tissue samples in group II results were: no injection (control), 41. 2 ml/min/100 gm; saline solution, 46.8 ml/min/110 gm; 2% lidocaine wit h 1:50,000 epinephrine, 60.6 ml/min/100 gm; and 2% lidocaine plain, 90 .2 ml/min/100 gm. On the basis of these results it appears that reflec tion of gingival tissue and injection of 2% lidocaine plain induces in creased blood flow 90 minutes postoperatively.