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J Reconstr Microsurg 2012; 28(03): 161-166
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1301066
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Reliable and Reproducible Murine Models for Commonly Used Abdominal Plastic Surgical Flaps

Jonathan Cubitt
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
,
Thomas Pennington
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
,
Chuanmin Wang
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
,
Richard Allen
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
,
Alex Bishop
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
,
Alexandra Sharland
1   Collaborative Transplantation Research Group, Bosch Institute, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

17 April 2011

15 October 2011

Publication Date:
24 January 2012 (online)

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Abstract

Animal models have been used for many years in surgical research to develop different surgical techniques, improve understanding of anatomy and physiology and hone surgical skills. The benefit of such models has been particularly important in developing relatively young specialties like plastic surgery and many plastic surgical techniques are designed and studied in animals long before they are used in humans. We describe techniques for raising several reliable and reproducible abdominal flaps in rodents, including transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps in rats and mice, superficial inferior epigastric artery flaps in rats and perforator flaps in rats. The intention of this paper is to act as a point of reference for any microvascular or plastic surgeon who is planning to perform abdominal plastic surgical flap research or further microvascular skills.

Keywords

TRAM - DIEP - SIEA - free flap - mice and rats
 

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