Peripheral neovascularisation of muscle and musculocutaneous flaps.

The collateral vascularisation of muscle flaps covered by a skin graft and of musculocutaneous island flaps was studied in a pig model using the latissimus dorsi muscle. Vascular ingrowth from the underlying bed was stopped by using silastic sheeting. The time taken for peripheral vascularisation of flaps to render them independent of pedicle blood supply was studied. In addition microangiograms were performed at the time of sacrifice of the animals (4 weeks postop.) to give a visual conception of the sites and sizes of new vessel growth at the periphery of the flaps. Results showed significant delay, in muscle flaps with skin grafts reset onto a poor bed, in obtaining a blood supply independent of the pedicle supply.