Experimental microarterial grafts: freeze-dried allografts versus autografts.

A segment of the femoral artery from a Sprague-Dawley rat was removed and freeze-dried. It was then used as a graft for a defect in the femoral artery of another rat. The femoral artery on the other side of this recipient rat had a similar grafting procedure using a segment of its own femoral artery, thus acting as a control. The patency rate, histopathology and scanning electron microscopy studies showed that freeze-dried allografts behave in the same way as autografts in this experimental model. They were easy to preserve, readily available on rehydration and were somewhat easier to handle because of their mild rigidity.