A PERI-IMPLANT CAPSULE FLAP

Spherical expanders (30 ml) were implanted under the skin vascularised by the left inferior epigastric pedicle in rats. When expansion was c omplete, the expander was removed and the animals divided into three g roups of 15. In the first group, the floor of the capsule was simply e verted. In the second group, a capsule island flap was raised; in the third group, a capsule free flap was raised, transferred to the hetero lateral vessels by microanastomosis; the inner side of the various cap sule flaps was covered with autologous skin graft. In the three experi mental groups, there was complete ''take'' of the skin grafts in 80% o f the animals. Pedicle or free flaps of capsular tissue may be raised and transferred safely in rats.