Local and systemic coagulation marker response to musculocutaneous flap ischemia-reperfusion injury and remote ischemic conditioning: An experimental study in a porcine model.

BACKGROUND

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) administered by non-lethal periods of extremity ischemia and reperfusion attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury. We aimed to investigate the local and systemic coagulation marker response to flap ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the effects of RIC on coagulation markers following flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.

METHODS

A musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap was subjected to 4 h of ischemia followed by 7 h of reperfusion in 16 female Danish Landrace pigs (39 kg). Systemic venous blood samples were collected 1 h before flap reperfusion. Flap and systemic venous blood samples were collected at reperfusion and hourly during reperfusion. We measured thrombin generation, fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, antithrombin, thrombin-antithrombin complex, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and prothrombin time (PT). RIC was performed 1 h before flap reperfusion in the intervention group by three 10-min periods of hind limb ischemia and reperfusion (n = 8). RIC was not performed in the control group (n = 8).

RESULTS

Local and systemic coagulation marker changes were comparable following flap ischemia-reperfusion injury. Flap ischemia-reperfusion injury reduced thrombin generation lag time from 2.0 ± 0.3 to 1.6 ± 0.3 min (P < .001), time-to-peak thrombin from 3.5 ± 0.3 to 3.0 ± 0.5 min (P = .001), peak thrombin from 79.6 ± 8.1 to 74.5 ± 7.1 nM (P = .033), endogenous thrombin potential from 211 ± 24 to 197 ± 19 nM × min (P = .01), antithrombin from 0.91 ± 0.07 to 0.79 ± 0.06 10 IU/l (P = .002), and aPTT from 37 ± 21 to 21 ± 9 s (P = .017). RIC increased peak thrombin (P < .001), endogenous thrombin potential (P < .001), and aPTT (P = .019).

CONCLUSIONS

The local coagulation marker response to musculocutaneous flap ischemia-reperfusion could be measured systemically by moderate hypercoagulation. RIC did not substantially influence coagulation markers following musculocutaneous flap ischemia-reperfusion injury.