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Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is often the final and irreversible factor causing flap failure in microvascular surgery for reconstruction of complex defects. Use of vascularised composite tissue allografts (CTA's) may lead to a reduction of donor site morbidity and functional loss. Of all tissues present in CTA's, muscle is one of the least tolerant to ischemia. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility of a transplantation of the cremaster in rats and to assess effects of a preservation solution on IRI. IRI leads to decreased capillary. Authors developed a useful model for the observation of the microcirculation in the rat cremaster muscle after transplantation and to assess the effects of Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate on IRI. Transplantation of the cremaster did not induce a major change in capillary perfusion.

Pathology of the sesamoid bones have been rarely described in the literature especially those of the index. We present the case of a 45 years old amateur tennis player who presented with pain on the radial border of the index finger at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint. The clinical examination and the operative findings allow us to conclude that the symptoms were due to tendinitis of the flexors of the index associated with fracture of the sesamoid and cartilaginous degenerative changes. We also present a review of the literature.

This study evaluated the microcirculatory hemodynamics of a new chamber implantation technique. The cremaster muscle island flap was employed. Seventeen male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied in two groups. In the control group, the standard cremaster muscle preparation with no chamber (N = 8) was used. After flap isolation, the muscle was preserved in the medial border of the hind limb and removed for observation after 24 hours. For the chamber group, the chamber was implanted after muscle isolation, and measurements were made 30 minutes postoperatively and at 24, 48, and 72 hours. The variables measured were microvessel diameter, red blood cell velocity, number of perfused capillaries, and the number of rolling, sticking, and transmigrating leukocytes in the postcapillary venules. The chamber group had a significantly greater number of perfused capillaries at 24 hours compared with controls (p < 0.05). The other variables did not differ significantly between groups at 24 hours. We can conclude that this cremaster muscle chamber model for chronic in vivo studies proved to be equal to the classic cremaster muscle preparation for chronic microcirculatory measurements for at least 24 hours.