ABSTRACTS

Abstracts
formation führt zur Formation von tubulären Strukturen in den EDC-
Kollagenschwämmen. EDC dient als zusätzlicher Cross-linker für die
Kollagenfibrillen und bewirkt über die Stabilisierung einer größeren
Porenstruktur eine verbesserte Proliferation. Diese Kollagenmatrizes
können als „Drug-delivery-systems“ für Wachstumsfaktoren dienen und
beinhalten die Möglichkeit der Transformation von pluripotenten
mesenchymalen adulten Knochenmark-Stammzellen in viele Zelltypen.
P18 Application of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor to
Enhance Prefabricated Skin Flap Survival in a Rat Model
R. Meirer, R. Gurunluoglu, M. Shafighi, G. Huemer, H. Piza-Katzer
Plastische und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinik Innsbruck, Department of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Quality-Control in Plastic Surgery, University
Innsbruck
An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adenovirus-mediated
VEGF on the survival of prefabricated skin flaps in a rat
model.
Materials and Methods: Skin flaps (8 x 8 cm) were outlined on the anterior abdominal
wall. Upper and lateral borders were incised and abdominal flaps
were raised leaving the inferior skin border intact. Left epigastric vessels
were ligated. An incision extending from the inguinal region to the lower
leg was performed and the left femoral artery and vein in continuity with
the saphenous vessels were dissected under the microscope and ligated
distally to obtain a vascular pedicle of 4 cm. A cuff of muscle was left surrounding
the pedicle. The pedicle was transposed and implanted underneath
the abdominal flap with 8/0 microsutures. Next, thirty male Sprague-Dawley
rats were randomly divided into three groups and received
either saline (control group I, n=10), Ad-GFP (adenovirus encoding
green fluorescent protein, group II, n=10) or Ad-VEGF perivascular
intracutaneous injections (group III, n=10). Incisions were closed with
running sutures. 21 days after the injections, the abdominal flaps were
elevated as an island flap based solely on the previously implanted pedicle.
These prefabricated skin flaps were then sutured back into place and flap
viability was evaluated at day seven. Sections of flaps were examined
histologically under electron and fluorescence microscopy.
Results: There was evidence of green fluorescence protein at day 3, 7, 14
and 21 in sections of skin flaps pretreated with Ad-GFP, indicating successful
transfection of flap. We observed a statistically significant
decrease in the percentage of flap necrosis in rats pretreated with Ad-
VEGF compared to the control and to the Ad-GFP group. (Ad-VEGF: 10.2
± 3.8 % vs. control: 43.1 ± 2.7 % (p