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Updated: May 3, 2026
In situ Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap: A Rat Model of Myocutaneous Ischemia Reperfusion Injury
Published on: June 8, 2013
[Histological changes after the recontruction of tongue defect with rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flap]
Jun Li1, Liang-Jun Zhong1, Hetaer-Huojia Mu2
1Deptartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China.
Objective:
To observe the cellular morphological and histological changes of the reconstructed tongue defect by rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flap of dogs with or without nerve.
Methods:
12 Beagle dogs were randomly divided into two groups. Group A made rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flap with the intercostal nerve while group B without the intercostal nerve. Nerve anastomosis was performed in Group A while not in Group B in the repairment. 12 weeks later, the length, width, surface area and cellular morphology and histological changes of the two transfer flaps were observed.
Results:
The length, width, surface area of transplanted rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flaps in group A were greater than those in Group B, and the differences were statistically significant at 12th week (P < 0.01). The microscope study found that the transplanted rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flaps of group A had part of muscle fiber atrophy with some connective and adipose tissue, loose muscle fiber arrangement, while the transplanted rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flaps of Group B had muscle cells atrophy with some adipocyte. The structure of muscle cells in Group A was basically normal, but it was disorder in Group B. The type II muscle fibers of Group B was atrophy and substituted by a lot of connective tissue.
Conclusion:
After tongue defect reconstructed by rectus abdominis musculoperitoneal flap with nerve, the changes of muscle fibers could be similar to tongue muscles, providing a basis for the dynamic recovery of the tongue.
