A MODIFIED FREE GRACILIS FLAP IN THE RAT

We present in this paper the use of a combined neurovascularized flap of gracilis muscle and inguinal skin in the rat with the femoral vesse ls and obturator nerve serving as the pedicles. The epigastric, saphen ous, and muscular branch vessels arising from the femoral vessels were preserved, and a portion of adductor magnus muscle was included in th e flap to protect the delicate muscle vessels at their origins. The in guinal skin and muscle flap both had independent blood supplies, thus separate assessment of muscle and skin rejection was possible in the s ingle transplanted ''packet.'' The muscle flap with the reconnected mo tor nerve regained contractile ability upon nerve stimulation within 3 0 days after the iso-transplantation. The results suggest that the mod ified gracilis myocutaneous flap provides an ideal model for transplan tation research. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.