[Bridging effect of expansion prefabrication on crossing area supply axial pattern flap in pigs].

Objective: To explore the effects of tissue expansion on the anastomoses and the survival of the axial pattern flap with a crossing area supply so as to improve the survival of crossing area axial pattern flap and to provide a new idea for the development of original crossing area axial flap.
Methods: The experiment included two parts. Experiment A was divided into expansion group and control group. Square flaps were randomly designed on own control bilaterally in each animal with a boundary of midline. Experiment B was divided into expansion group and delay group. The flaps were also randomly designed on own control bilaterally. Angiographic analysis and gross survival observation were carried on.
Results: Experiment A: Angiography showed that there were abundant anastomoses with big caliber between deep iliac circumflex artery and superior epigastric artery in expansion group and there were only 3-4 anastomoses in control group. Experiment B: Angiography showed that there were abundant anastomoses with big caliber in expansion group and there were two arterial systems with relatively less anastomoses and smaller caliber in delay group. The survival rates in expansion group was significantly higher than that in the control group (90.16% +/- 3.61% vs 72.67% +/- 5.35%) in experiment A, and in experiment B the survival rate was 92.08% +/- 3.30% in the expansion group and 80.79% +/- 4.52% in the delay group, showing significant difference (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Expansion prefabrication can and improve the survival of the crossing area supply axial pattern flap. The mechanism is the bridging effect.