Cutaneous blood vessels in scent pigs

The purpose of this study was to systematically provide anatomic data for f lap research in plastic surgery on the cutaneous blood vessels. Seven scent pigs used in this study were killed anesthetically, and their carotid vess els were intubated and injected with a black liquid rubber. Twenty-four hou rs later, the integument of the scent pig was removed, and the perforating points of the cutaneous vessels were recorded. The different-sized pieces o f integument became transparent. Part of this transparent skin tissue was c ut into cross-sectional strips. There were three types of the cutaneous Vas cular source, the same as in humans. Six division levels of vessels in the skin were identified, which formed five vascular plexuses and two systems ( the perforating vessel system and the cutaneous vessel system). There were two sets of vein systems: the concomitant vein and the oscillating vein; th e latter can be divided into regular and irregular types. The structures of the perforating vessel system and the cutaneous vessel system were the mor phological basis for choosing flaps. Two anatomic points have been emphasiz ed: the preserved vascular plexus in thin flaps (not the subcutaneous vascu lar network reported previously) and the dependency of vascular structure o n its location. Otherwise, this study has also provided two new kinds of fl aps used in experimental study: the arterial loop flap and the intermuscula r septal perforator flap. Although there were differences as well as simila rities in skin vasculature between humans and the scent pig, the scent pig is still suitable for flap research.