[Experimental study on antibacterial activity of subdermal vascular network island skin flap]

A comparison study was carried out on the antibacterial activity between two kinds of pig buttock flaps: the conventional island skin flap and the subdermal vascular network island skin flap which was created by thinning the distal half of a conventional island flap, preserving its subdermal vascular network. Antibacterial activity was evaluated by bacterial counts, phagocytic index and intracellular bacterial killing ratio of leukocytes, skin temperature, laser Doppler, ink perfusion, microangiography and transparent specimen technique. The results indicated that antibacterial activity of the subdermal vascular network island skin flap was much lower than that of the conventional island skin flap. The reduced blood supply and decreased leukocyte function were responsible for the low antibacterial activity after the conventional island flap was thinned.