Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

In situ Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap: A Rat Model of Myocutaneous Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
Published on: June 8, 2013
Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen on survival of random pattern skin flap in diabetic rats
1Shandong University Medical School, Wenhua West Road 44, Jinan, PR China 250012.
Objectives:
This study was designed to determine if hyperbaric oxygen improved random pattern skin flap survival in diabetic rats.
Methods:
Cranially-based, 4 x 10 cm dorsal skin flaps were raised in 38 diabetic rats induced by streptozocin (STZ). The animals were randomly divided equally into two groups. Group A was a control group observed in the room air and Group B was the experimental group, which received hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy. The HBO2 regimen consisted of 90 minutes of treatment with 100% O2 at 2.5 ATA (atmosphere absolute ATA) per day for 7 consecutive days. On the 7th postoperative day, we measured the necrotic flap area and the new growth number of capillary vessel and the granulation tissue thickness.
Results:
The percentage of necrosis flap area for group A was 50.5 +/- 10.5%; for group B it was 38.5 +/- 9.3%. The reduction in necrosis flap area was highly significant (p < 0.01) compared with controls. Also, new-growth capillary vessel and granulation tissue thickness were statistically different between the two groups.
Conclusions:
The findings of this study demonstrated beneficial effects of HBO2 in improving diabetic rat dorsal skin flap survival.
