FASCIA-VASCULARIZED VS MUSCLE-VASCULARIZED PREFABRICATED FLAPS USING TISSUE EXPANDERS - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN A RAT MODEL

The aim of this study was to compare the applicability and viability o f a fascia-vascularized pedicle (FVP) with those of a muscle-vasculari zed pedicle (MVP) in the prefabrication of a secondary vascularized pe dicle flap using a tissue expander. Experiments were carried out in 32 male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into two groups-Group 1 (n = 10), using a skeletonized pedicle of the right saphenous artery, ve in, and nerve with a segment of 8 x 10 mm fascia on its distal end (FV P group); and Group 2 (n = 10), using a 3-mm perivascular cuff of musc le with a segment of 8 x 10 mm fascia and gracilis muscle on its dista l end (MVP group). The experiments demonstrated that there was a large r area of flap survival in the expanded muscle-vascularized pedicle fl aps (96.6 +/- 3.6 percent) than that found in the expanded fascia-vasc ularized pedicle flaps (83.0 +/- 14.4 percent) in this rat model (p <0 .005). The microangiography of the flaps showed increased vascularity of the muscle cuff at the end of the vascular pedicle in Group 2.