Microvascular transfers of latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior muscles in rats.

The thoracodorsal artery supplies the latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior in the rat in the same fashion as in the human. In the rat, the thoracodorsal artery and vein average 0.57 mm and 0.71 mm in diameter, respectively, at their origins and can be used as pedicles averaging 19 mm in length to the latissimus dorsi muscle and 27 mm to the serratus anterior muscle. We successfully transferred both of these muscles to groin vessels by means of end-to-end or end-to-side anastomoses. The serratus anterior muscle was technically easier to transfer because its pedicle was longer. We conclude that the serratus anterior transfer in the rat is a feasible animal model for microvascular muscle transfer and may be a useful standard model for pharmacological and biochemical studies in transplanted muscle.