Background
The vascular pedicles of superficial skeletal muscles are classified as the dominant
pedicle and the minor pedicle. The dominant pedicle can reliably provide adequate
circulation to the entire muscle, but the minor pedicle cannot. Therefore, it is impossible
to elevate an entire muscle flap based solely on the minor pedicle. We evaluated whether
the delivery of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) would remodel the vascular network
in the muscle flap and increase the perfusion capacity via the minor pedicle.
Methods
Using a controlled delivery system with acidic gelatin hydrogel microspheres, bFGF
(50 μg, FGF group) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS group) was delivered to the rabbit
gracilis muscle, which contained a single dominant pedicle and a minor pedicle. Seven
days later, the gracilis muscle was elevated as a muscle flap on the minor pedicle,
and the flap was wrapped with a silicone sheet to avoid vessel in-growth from surrounding
tissue. At 7 d after operation, flap viability, microangiograms, and regional blood
flow were evaluated.
Results
Flap viability in the FGF group (73.6 ± 20.5%) was significantly higher than that
in the PBS group (19.7 ± 23.5%). Postmortem angiograms of the flap showed obvious
communications between the distal vascular networks of the minor and dominant pedicles.
Angiographic score and regional blood flow of the flap were significantly higher in
the FGF group than in the PBS group.
Conclusions
Controlled delivery of bFGF to rabbit gracilis muscle increased the perfusion capacity
via the minor pedicle, and the minor pedicle became able to solely provide sufficient
circulation to the entire muscle.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 22, 2007
Received:
May 8,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
