An easy and noninvasive technique for harvesting split thickness skin grafts in rats

Skin graft studies in rats constitute a valuable adjunct to scientific human experimentations, however the harvesting of split thickness skin graft poses a challenge to the researcher due to the presence of panniculus carnosus tissue in rat skin. This striated muscle tissue renders significant laxity and mobility to the skin layer, greatly interfering with the process of skin graft harvest. In order to fixate the rat skin and limit its flexibility various techniques and modifications have been described, which mostly rely on the use of subdermal implanted templates. These methods are therefore time consuming, with an additional exposure to surgical stress and wounds. A new and simple technique is presented which offers a rapid and reliable alternative to the existing methods of split thickness skin graft harvesting without any additional invasive procedure or extra instruments other than the researchers hands and a dermatome.