[Functional and morphological study of the resensitization of transplanted skin flaps]

A study was conducted to assess sensory function in skin grafts, its effectiveness being an essential condition for ensuring coverage of loss of substance and total functional recovery of the transplanted skin. Morphological and structural criteria to identify cutaneous sensory receptors were established, and data related to their functional activity obtained following an exhaustive literature review. Clinical studies from 1960, employing conventional tests of responses to stimuli, have demonstrated that sensory recovery in transplanted flaps is strictly proportional to that which existed previously. More recent studies have involved equipment to apply stimuli and record responses providing objective assessment of tactile, pain, and thermal sensitivities. Histologic examinations were also performed to try to obtain morphological confirmation o results from the exposed clinical methods. Analysis of a selection of clinical cases studied has demonstrated that more marked recovery of sensory function in transplanted flaps is related to histological evidence of a greater density of regenerated nerve endings.