• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the major vascular system to supply flap, flap survival rate and complications after flap elevation in order to evaluate possibility of the vascularized face/scalp allotransplantation. Forty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into two groups: control group and experimental group. Individuals of control group had a face/scalp composite unit which was composed of skin, subcutaneous tissue and platysma muscle, supplying by bilateral facial artery, temporal artery and auricular artery and draining by external jugular vein. After a flap was elevated, bilateral facial artery, temporal artery and auricular artery were ligated. On the other hand, those of experimental group had the same composite unit as control group with bilateral facial artery, temporal artery and auricular artery being not ligated. We had measured survival area of flaps of the sixteen individuals survived for four weeks in the control group and fourteen in the experimental group by Grid method. The mean survival durations of the flap were 3.7days in the control group, 20.0days in the experimental group. The significant differences in the mean survival durations and survival rate at the 28days were found between the control and experimental group (p<0.05). Mean values about the survival area's fractions of all were $1.3{\pm}4.%$ in the control group and $63.1{\pm}4.8%$ in the experimental group. Those of experimental group was significantly higher than control group statistically (p<0.05). The composite face/scalp flap which we have elevated, supplied by bilateral facial artery, temporal artery, auricular artery and drained by external jugular vein has flap viability enough to be transplanted after its elevation.