Blood flow through prefabricated flaps--an experimental study in rabbits.

Prefabricated flaps were created by femoral vessel implantation beneath the abdominal skin in rabbits. The area of survival and blood flow through the prefabricated flap were measured after 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12-week intervals. The parameters at 6, 8 and 12-week intervals were significantly larger than those for random pattern flaps (p < 0.01), but were significantly smaller than those for axial pattern flaps (p < 0.01). The minimum interval at which the prefabricated flap could be transferred successfully was between 6 and 8 weeks in this model. Microangiography demonstrated that neovascularisation began at the distal end of the implanted vascular bundle and spread throughout the flap by 8 weeks.